When I Was A Muggle
by MantyMouse
Summary: Hermione Jean Granger is a Muggle who gets dreams about a magical world she's never known. She sets out to find it and soon gets caught in a mystery; why did her Hogwarts letter go missing the day she turned 11? a prequel-dont give up on the couples
1. Dreaming

**Disclaimer: **If I owned this…I tell you now, I wouldn't be writing on fanfic LOL. So no copyright breach intended. I only own the story line and Muggle characters I have invented (e.g. Emma and Kelly)

**Blurb: **Hermione is a normal Muggle who starts to get strange dreams about people and places she doesn't know. Fascinated by her connection with this world of magic and Hogwarts Hermione sets out to find out more about it. Only too late does she realise she's got caught up in a magic plot and soon she is searching for the reason that her Hogwarts letter went missing they day she turned 11.

**Author's Note: **Hope you like, review please and subscribe if you like so you can keep getting updates on this story! I'm very excited about this one, it's a replacement in my writing time for Twelfth Night which I recently finished. Love always to my dedicated readers  xx (to see my fan videos check out mantymouse and youtube)

Hermione shuffled in her bed, she was in that fuzzy, half waking-half sleeping state, her mind still partly focused on her dream where, for some reason, she'd been talking to Emma and Kelly about her cat- she didn't even have a cat. Dreams can be like that. She sighed and turned over in her covers, irritably untangling her duvet, _oh Harry, where are you? _He hadn't been in her dreams at all yet that night. The dreams were getting so fascinating, if only they were real, but they were her beautiful fantasy that she could visit every night and talk to her new friend Harry Potter.

In her head Harry Potter was a Wizard and he went to a magical wizarding school, named Hogwarts, and learnt lots of spells, he never did anything he just sat and talked to her about his life and all around them was dark fuzz. It was as if that's as far as Hermione's imagination would go, like she couldn't make the places she'd invented physically real so she imagined it was because Harry couldn't take her there. He'd had a sad child hood where an evil wizard had killed his parents and he'd grown up with his horrible aunt and uncle, Cinderella style, but he didn't talk about it much.

Hermione sighed and tried again to sleep, _Get a grip girl, you're Hermione Jean Granger and you're a normal person. No magic, no spells, no Hogwarts- and you're acting like a child. This isn't real. _

_***_

_Hermione stood on a rutted driveway that led towards an old house. She looked back and saw a gangly red haired boy walking up the path with two shopping bags in his hands._

"_Hey!" She called out to him and began to run forwards, the boy frowned,_

"_Er hi. How did you get here?" Hermione frowned, she didn't know. _

"_Well I- it doesn't matter. Do you live here?" She asked. She felt inquisitive about the old place; it looked homely. _

"_Yes." He looked around furtively, "You shouldn't be here. I have to go." The boy moved past her but Hermione followed anyway._

"_Why shouldn't I?" Then she muttered under her breath "I can't be here by accident." She blushed, unsure whether the boy had heard her._

"_Are you a Muggle?" He asked her,_

"_I don't think so. Muggle?" Hermione giggled as she repeated the word, "What's that, a nasty disease?" The boy cursed under his breath and looked around oddly, (he was expecting an armed guard of ministry officials to swoop on him at any minute for nearly break the statue of secrecy). _

"_No it's just…never mind. I have to go, Mum's expecting this shopping." He shrugged almost apologetically and then turned away again. Something stirred in Hermione's memory from one of her conversations with Harry._

"_Ron?" She called tentatively. The boy spun round,_

"_How do you know my name? Who are you?" He asked quickly, a threat present in his voice. _

"_No one, it doesn't matter. I just- you're Harry's friend aren't you?" He faltered and frowned,_

"_Well…yea! Harry Potter?"_

"_Yes, that's him!" She cried,_

"_Oh…" Ron seemed awkward. "I didn't know Harry was friends with any Mug- I mean, I didn't know he was friends with you. Did you know him before he started…our school?"_

"_No. We just met this summer. It's sort of hard to explain actually." She cleared her throat and Ron shrugged._

"_Well it was nice meeting you…erm?" _

"_Hermione. My name's Hermione Granger." Ron half smiled at her and Hermione beamed back, "Can I come in please?" She asked bluntly, always so much braver here than in her usual life. Ron laughed,_

"_Sorry but I don't even know you and-"_

"_I know you're a wizard." _

"_Oh!" He looked taken a back and then narrowed his eyes, "If you're going to say that keep it down and keep it to yourself." He whispered, "I don't know how you know this much about me. Look, I would let you in but- I'd be in huge trouble. I just can't. Sorry." He turned away again with a certain finality and Hermione decided to let it drop and look around this town. But no sooner did she step away than it began to fade…_

_*** _

Hermione was bitterly disappointed when she open her eyes and realised she was lying down, not stood up in a road outside Ron's house. She got dressed and fixed her hair in a daydream, ready to go out shopping with Kelly. _Another day as a- what did he call it?- Muggle. And I'm so sick of it, why can't I be like them? _


	2. Wave

**Author's Note: **So after the first trial chapter this one has been WAY TOO LONG in the making, i'm so sorry...i hope i haven't lost too many readers. So yepp, hope you like it!! I just wanted to apologise and it's cos i've been busy vidding on youtube, and writing other stories as well as some not for fanfic so yeah :D love you all...

**At** the dinner table Hermione was only half listening to her parents discussing the start of term next week- the other half of her concentration was on the carefully crafted stick she was holding under the table. Her dog, Lily the Yorkshire terrier, was going mental trying to chase it but Hermione held it just out of her reach, practising the 'swish and flick' movement.

"Wingadium Leviosa." She muttered under her breath,

"Pardon Hermione? Don't mutter." Her mum scolded,

"Hermione!" Her dad warned, looking down at her hand under the table, "Of all the things to be doing at the dinner table. Don't tease her with it, and certainly don't play with her while you're eating the food. Get out from there Lily." Her shooed the little dog away and firmly confiscated Hermione's stick, placing it on the sideboard behind him and clicking his tongue in annoyance. Hermione sighed and went back to her food- this wasn't the first time her parents had caught her 'practising spells'.

Late that night, in her bedroom, Hermione was sat at her desk working on some of her summer coursework. Working, which involved a heavy amount of daydreaming; she'd practically convinced herself that this September she'd get a magical invite to Hogwarts even though she knew that the correct age was eleven. _Ah well, dreaming can't hurt. _

***

Hermione hovered at the park gate, watching a dark haired boy swinging kind of aimlessly on the kiddies' swing. When she was sure it was Harry she entered the park and raised a hand to him.

"_Hey Harry."_

"_Hermione." He answered with a smile, "Haven't seen you in a while."_

"_I know, I've been busy. I met your friend Ron." Harry frowned for a moment and then his face cleared,_

"_Ah yeah, he said. He was a little creeped out." They both laughed, "Why were you all the way out there?"_

"_Oh I was just…" She didn't know, "I was out that way with my parents." She lied. _

"_Oh right." Silence, "I should be getting on."_

"_Oh but I only just got here." Hermione pleaded as Harry rose from the swing. "Let me at least walk you home, you live round here right?" Harry nodded,_

"_Surely it should be me walking you home. And how are you going to get home after you've gone all the way to my place?"_

"_I can handle myself." She told him firmly. And thought to herself 'I'm in a dream, I'll just wake up when he's gone' _

_They walked together in silence for a few minutes before Hermione asked,_

"_You still down about that girl?"_

"_Cho?" Hermione nodded, "No it's ok, I'm getting over it." Hermione noticed his smile and caught on,_

"_Oooh!" She teased, "With who?"_

"_With no one." Harry blushed,_

"_Come on, you can tell me…"_

"_Oh alright. With Ginny Weasley, you know, Ron's sister."_

"_Oh yeah, you told me about her. That's great." She enthused and Harry threw her a sheepish grin, _

"_But not a word to anyone." _

"_My lips are sealed." She told him teasingly. They turned down another street and four houses down Harry stopped pointedly. "This is your house?" He nodded. Hermione looked up the pristine driveway to the modern, red brick house, pretty much identical to hers. "Nice."_

"_I don't think so. I would invite you in but I've told you about my aunt and uncle, and-"_

"_I know, it's fine." Hermione gave a little wave and then watched him walk down the drive. _

_***_

Hermione woke with a jolt, pulling her face off the book she'd fallen asleep on.

"Damn it." She said to herself, rubbing her sore cheek. Her cat yowled from the bed and she was distracted from her pain and the lateness of the night. "Hey Crookshanks." She crooned and picked up her big ginger fur-ball. Hermione curled up on the bed, fully clothed, and laid Crookshanks in a comfortable spot where he could keep her warm; she was far too tired to do any more work tonight.

"Hermione for the last time!" He dad lost his rag at the dinner table that night. He snatched the piece of wood from her hand and handed it to the dog to chew. "Will you stop messing around?!" Hermione shrugged sulkily, she had plenty more upstairs anyway. She'd meticulously made wands of all different shapes and sizes this summer and had them stored under her bed, just in case her Dad decided to confiscate another.

Hermione was walking moodily around her area late that night; her Dad really annoyed her, treating her like a child. She shoved her hands deeper into her jeans pockets and kept her head down as she walked. She turned onto Harry's road, she didn't know why, she thought maybe she'd glance in the window, he'd wave and then come out for a bit. Or maybe she'd bang on the door, say she had run away from home and there was nowhere for her to go except Hogwarts. Or maybe, she thought, she'd walked past the house, see someone else living there and realise once and for all that this was a stupid imaginative dream and nothing more. Nevertheless she crossed to 'his' side of the street. She casually glanced into the living room window of number 4 as she passed; she saw a family of three sat around watching football on the widest television screen she'd even seen and the boy in the middle was definitely _not _Harry. She sighed, disappointed despite what she'd convinced herself. As she came up to the corner of the road she slowed, hearing raised voices, she turned the corner and watched the scene unfold before her.

"I want to drive."

"No way! I'm a better driver than you anyway."

"Fred, George." The voice of someone familiar stepped in between the two arguing red-heads (obviously twins) "Fred, you drove here, it's got to be George's turn." The person she now recognised as Ron pointed out. One of the two twins pouted and stomped into the passenger seat, while the other smirked and ostentatiously opened the driver's door.

"All set." A dark boy with his back to her called to the front; it was Harry. He got in the car next to Ron and patted the seat next to him for the only remaining person on the pavement. It was a small, slight, red head (obviously another Weasley) girl beamed at him and jumped in the car next to him. Hermione made the connection in her brain and realised this must be Ginny- well she certainly was stunning. The Ford Anglia did a wobbly u-turn in the road and then sputtered into second gear. As it passed her Hermione lifted her hand in a wave, which Harry returned, a little bemusedly. Ron took a second to see who it was and then turned and gave a half wave out of the back window as the car turned off the road.

The wave meant nothing to anyone; except Hermione. She was suddenly alive with possibilities. Her very dream had just waltzed into real life and it wasn't her imagination. _It's really real!_


	3. Mr Ollivander

**Author's Note: **I'm really glad that people have gotten so excited about this, i seem to be gradually whipping up a following :) thankyou so much, i hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!!! x

Hermione and the girlies' had left their parents at the train station; they wanted to go shopping, not look around stupid museums. There were five of them altogether and they had come with three sets of parents on the short train ride to London.

"Let's go over there!" Emma called excitedly and they crossed the street, pushing through the sweaty crowd towards yet another clothes shop. Hermione followed more slowly, looking around her. She could hardly believe her eyes. There, just paces away, walking towards the corner of the street, was the red-haired girl she'd seen with Harry and Ron just a few days ago.

"Guys I've just seen somewhere else I want to go. I'll be back later."

"What?"

"Where?"

"Hermy, where are you going?"

"I've seen some friends I met this summer." It wasn't quite a lie as she began to edge away, "I'm just going to catch up with them for a bit, keep in touch, I might be a while." She couldn't help a grin spreading across her face as she darted away before more questioning could take place. She followed the girl for a few paces before she had the guts to call out,

"Er- Ginny?" Nothing. She tried a little louder, "Hey, Ginny!" This time she spun around,

"Hi- er- who are you? Do you know me?" She looked a little confused as they stood facing each other, Hermione going redder by the minute, getting buffeted by the crowd on all sides.

"It's erm, kind of, well it's difficult to…" She faltered, seeing Ginny's eyes narrow in suspicion. A familiar voice came to her rescue,

"Hermione!"

"Hi Harry." She relaxed, and glanced behind him to smile at Ron too.

"You know her?" Ginny asked pointedly.

"Yeah, Hermione and I met this summer." Harry told her, not recognising the tention that Hermione had picked up on in her voice. Then Ginny voiced it,

"Are you two like together?"

"No!" They both said in unison.

"No, we're just mates. I'm a Muggle by the way." Ginny nodded slowly and looked around,

"Keep your voice down." She muttered, "We have to go now anyway."

"Can I come?" Hermione asked Harry quietly,

"Sorry." He did look sorry too, "We're going to-" He lowered his voice, "Diagon Alley, so you wouldn't be able to get in anyway. I doubt you could even see the entrance 'cause you're a Muggle, it's got like an anti-Muggle charm on it." He explained with out realising he was taking Hermione with them as they walked. "It's in here." He gestured towards a grimy looking pub,

"Which she shouldn't even be able to see." Ginny pointed out firmly,

"I can see it." The three others turned around in surprise and Hermione nodded excitedly, "The Leaky Cauldron, I can." They looked around at each other. Ron shrugged,

"Bring her in, why not? It's not like she'll get through the barrier."

"Don't you dare." Ginny whispered, "Statue of Secrecy Harry."

"But if she can see the pub?" Harry protested, "That must mean something, right?" Again Ron shrugged,

"On your head." Ginny warned and turned to enter the building with her brother.

"In Ginny's words that means 'sure bring her in'." Harry winked, "Don't worry, she'll warm to you." Hermione nodded,

"Thanks." They walked together into the dark, damp smelling building. Hermione looked around in wonder, "Wow! Is that a vampire?" She pointed to a man sat deep in the shadows, drinking something red from a shot glass. Harry nodded,

"And what about him?" He pointed to a man with scars visible all over his skin and a rip in his shirt,

"If we were in Muggle London I'd say he'd been in one too many fights. As we're here, I'll have to go with Werewolf." Harry made a noise of approval. "Oh! That's got to be a hag."

"Yep, that she is." Hermione suppressed a giggle,

"What about the bar man? He looks Muggle." She queried.

"Nope. That's Tom, he's a squib." Harry noticed Hermione's confused frown. "A squib is someone with both Magical parents that somehow turns out with no powers by freak coincidence. There's a few about, our school caretaker for example, he's one."

"Oh right." Hermione's eyes followed Ginny and Ron making their way to the back of the pub. "So if I can see all this, can I come with you? To Diagon Alley?" Harry looked torn.

"There are all these laws and…what the hell." He smiled, "You're amazing Hermione, I feel like I've known you forever, you have no idea how much I want to show you this."

"Yes I do." She grinned. They walked into a small courtyard at the back of the building that smelt a little of rotting rubbish bins and Hermione caught Ginny giving Ron a withering look before drawing out her wand. Hermione looked at the object in awe- it was beautiful. Ginny tapped a brick in the wall and Hermione nearly fell back in to Harry's arms.

"Oh my word!" She said. The wall in front of her had just moved, _moved_, out of their way. "Oh my god. Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!" She squealed.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked uncertainly. Hermione strode to the wall and touched it, running her hands up and down it.

"It's real, it's actually real." She looked around and the others nodded in amusement. "It moved!" She told them, in shock.

"It know Hermione, it does that." Harry laughed some more. "Don't worry, I couldn't believe it first time I saw it either." Hermione looked around the street in wonderment. There were so many colours, smells- and the street was diagonal- every building looked so quirky, like it had been squeezed in even though there was no room. The street was cobbled too, they definitely weren't in modern London any more. Hermione tried to analyse the street as she looked, guessing what places were for.

"You seen anywhere you recognise?" Harry asked, and then called out as Ginny and Ron moved away, "We'll catch you up in a bit, I think I should let her take it all in first." Hermione laughed.

"Yeah, that's an Ice Cream Parlour."

"Florean Fortescue's, you should see the flavours they do."

"Oh! And that's like, a tailors?"

"Well, the wizard version. It's a robe makers, Madam Malkin's." Hermione spun in a circle,

"I've seen a bookshop, a sweetshop, a broomstick shop- which I'm guessing is like a sports shop. Also, a big wonky building."

"That's the bank. It's amazing inside, all Goblins work there and you've never seen so much gold in your life. Wizard money is different to Muggle money but it works on the same principle; a knutt is like a penny, a sickle is like a fifty pence and a galleon is-"

"Like a pound, I got it." She finished for him. Harry looked at her strangely,

"You're very smart aren't you?"

"I don't know." Hermione muttered, her accent getting more pronounced as she was embarrassed.

"Well you're just accepting all this." Harry waved a hand around, "Broomsticks and cauldrons and different money, people walking around in robes and pointy hats, waving wands and carrying bats and things. You're just acting as though you see it every day."

"I just want to believe in it. I think I'd believe in magic anyway, meeting you was kind of magic for me."

"How?"

"It's hard to explain, I will one day." Harry nodded, a little confused. "Oh, and I see a pet shop." She continued with a smile,

"That's good. Can you guess what that shop is?" He pointed to a dusty looking shop front that was set back a little from the rest and with darkened windows. Hermione stepped up to the grimy windows and peered in, she could see a counter and shelves behind it that seemed to go on forever, all with little card boxes stacked as high as the ceiling.

"Olli-van-der's." She spelt out slowly and then pushed the door open.

"Hermione! No wait! You can't go in." There was a tinkling of a bell as she entered and then another as Harry rushed after her. She turned and smiled reassuringly,

"It's ok, I'm just curious."

"Of course you are Miss Granger." Hermione jumped out of her skin as an old man appeared from the shadows, smiling,

"How do you know my name?" She asked backing into Harry, terrified, and gripping at his hand.

"It's ok." He told her, "Hello Mr Ollivander. Er, yeah, how do you know her name?"

"It's about time I was seeing you. Though it's years over due, I knew you'd find your way here eventually."


	4. Right or not, it happened

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the wave of response and support for this story, i think it's gonna be a long one :) please keep reading and reviewing!! hope this chapter lives up to expectation.... xox

"Eventually?" Hermione repeated,

"It's a long story, and it's nowhere near finished, my dear, but I am not the one to tell it to you. Would you like to buy a wand?"

"I have no money." She stammered before she'd thought what she was saying, gripping Harry's hand all the tighter.

"I do." He told her, prising his arm from her grip and digging into his pocket. He stopped mid movement, "But Mr Ollivander, Hermione is…well, she's a Muggle? What's the use in a wand?"

"Shall we see her try one first?" The old man smiled.

"But I- I don't think, well I wont be able to- I can't- I don't think I want to…"

"That's not true is it Miss Granger?" Feeling a little less wobbly Hermione shook her head,

"No it's not. I'd like to, very much, if that's ok. I know I wont be able to use it but-"

"No matter, no matter." The old man muttered, tottering off to his shelves and climbing on a ladder. With a loud 'woosh' he was gone, to a darkened end of the shop, and Hermione barely dared to breath, then with a second 'woosh' he was back with a small ivory coloured box in his hand. "Hold it." He instructed, thrusting the box forward and removing the lid with a flourish. Inside sat a smallish, dark brown, polished stick, with a little curve before the tip and clearly defined grains all along the bark. Hermione stretched out a tentative hand and curled her fingers around it with more conviction than she felt. It sat snugly in her grip, soft, warm and smooth; purposeful.

"It's mine." She whispered, feeling a rush of excitement that began in her fingertips and spread through her body, a delicate tingling of something that was a part of her. She turned to Harry with an expression of bewilderment, "But it _is _mine." She told him firmly, "I feel it, when I hold it; it's like I'm in touch with another part of me." Harry took a step back,

"Woah! I only brought you here today to, to show you I guess, I never planned on- Mr Ollivander, help me out here."

"But you did bring her here." He looked right at Harry, "Very little in our world is left down to chance, my boy, you know this." He shook his head in disbelief,

"It just can't be right." Hermione shrugged,

"Right or not, it happened." Harry's eyes snapped up,

"You even speak like one of us." He muttered. Mr Ollivander watched the exchanged with some concern and then changed the subject,

"Try a spell, my dear."

"But I don't know any." Hermione felt child again, like she was being taken back and stripped down to her core, and shown her new self.

"Think, my dear, _think_. What you want, it can happen, you don't need to know the words." Hermione bit her lip and closed her eyes. When she'd gained composure again she turned and, very firmly, pointed her wand at the box it had come from, sat on the table. Harry waited, half terrified, half hoping. Nothing happened. _Come on, _Hermione thought, _lift up, go up. Oh what's the word? Um…Levitate. Go on! Levitate. _As soon as she thought the word the box began to hover, just a little, just centimetres, but enough to make Hermione scream and jump backwards. The box clattered to the table again.

"You see Miss Granger?" Mr Ollivander looked at her with his piercing eyes. Hermione turned to Harry and grinned,

"Don't _you _see Harry? It all makes sense- why we met, nothing happens by coincidence, he said. I am meant to be a witch, I don't know how, or why. I know that I should be a witch, it's who I am!" She squealed excitedly and Harry ran a hand through his hair,

"I don't understand but I suppose…There's no mistake?" He asked hopefully. The old man shook his head,

"No mistake, and now I think you had better show Miss Granger her vault in Gringotts, the Goblins have the key, and then help her collect her school belongings. Plans have been put in motion that are far beyond our understanding, Mr Potter."

***

Hermione was moving, floating, up a long carriage drive towards a castle. She knew, by instinct that this must be Hogwarts, it had that sense of power surrounding it like it knew things far beyond her contemplation. It's doors opened automatically, as the do in dreams and let her into a large grand entrance hall. It was higher than she could have imagined and as she looked up the melee of staircases that criss-crossed their way to the ceiling were changing direction. Incredible!

_The scene around her disappeared and she was stood, much higher up, she could tell by looking out of a nearby window, inside a cosy, circular room with a large fire in it. No one was here but it still had a homely air to it, two spiral staircases lead up, yet again, and the walls were lined with plush red paper. Bright red carpets covered the floor and everywhere she looked there was a lion emblem. _

_Again the scene changed. As it refocused Hermione could feel more of a draft in this room, but she was equally high up. She spun in a circle, counting eight sides to the room. The ceiling was blue and dotted with gold star patters, the floor was flag stones layered with a few blue and silver rugs. This time instead of lions there was some kind of bird and a large bust of a woman. Hermione walked towards it and reached out a hand to her, she was ethereal in her beauty, but as soon as her hand made contact with the cold stone the scene blurred away once again. _

_Show me something different! _

_When she reappeared she was in a darkened corridor walking forwards, faster than she could in real life, and heading right for dead end; she was a little frightened. But it wasn't a dead end, in her way was gargoyle and she came to a screeching halt in front of it,_

_Let me through_

_Nothing happened but she could just see a spiral of stair case going up behind it._

_Let me through!_

***

Hermione stood at the bottom of a long rutted drive, somewhere she'd been before, but she wasn't accustomed to actually visiting the places she'd seen in her dreams. She checked the scrawled address in her pocked, one she'd remembered from somewhere in her sleeping subconscious, and looked up again at the distant and crooked house; this had to be the Weasley's. She had all her new belongings, purchased with Harry, inside her also new trunk, plus a few things from home and a lot of clothes- who knew what Hogwarts would be like? In truth she was terrified of turning up uninvited to a Wizards' house, or even a Wizarding school, but since her argument with her parents (over her being a witch) she had very little else she could do, and certainly nowhere else she could go. As she got further up the drive she noticed the same blue Ford Anglia she had seen when Ron had been near to Harry's house; Hermione started walking a little faster. People were loading up the car so she called out,

"Hey!" She stopped just short of the group and surveyed the scene carefully, guessing what she should say next. Harry and Ron started to come over, having been sat well out of the way with the two red headed twins, whose names she remembered to be Fred and George. Two people, obviously mum and dad, were trying to squeeze far too many items into the minimal boot space. The mum was short, dumpy looking with a rather frumpy sense of hippy dress; the dad was tall and lanky but with an equally poor dress sense and slightly shabby clothing, Hermione would guess they didn't come from money. She confirmed the thought by seeing how bad a state of repair the house was in as she heard a door slam. Turning, Hermione saw a shocked, and angry looking Ginny emerging slowly from the house.

"It's you." Hermione ignored this remark and spoke directly to Harry,

"Hi Harry!" She turned to the two parents, "I don't suppose you've got room for one more case?"

"Hello- I er…who are you?" The father spoke first, but then Mrs Weasley narrowed her eyes in suspicion and turned sharply on Harry,

"Harry do you know this girl? Does she go to Hogwarts?"

"No." Ginny said firmly but Harry put a hand on her arm,

"I think-" He stopped and came over to Hermione, "She belongs at Hogwarts. I'll explain in a moment, but Hermione _is _a witch, I've seen her and I know she is." Harry careful extracted Hermione from the situation and pulled her to one side. "You sure about this?" Hermione gave an over exaggerated shrug,

"I've got no where else now Harry. I'm going to go to Hogwarts and I am going to find out why it is that I should have been there all this time."

"You looked very determined."

"Very observant." They half smiled at each other,

"Ok, I appreciate having no where to go more than anyone. Certainly more than anyone here," Her gestured at the family group, "You go and sit with Ginny, and I'll have a word with the others, explain things."

"I'm guessing you've already told Ginny," She smiled ruefully,

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have." He blushed and laughed, steering her towards Ginny. The younger girl raised her eyebrows,

"Ginny, be nice?" She half nodded and smiled at Harry; Hermione took this as her cue to sit down.

"Hi." She said awkwardly,

"Hi."


	5. The naming of 'Mione'

**Author's Note: **_Hey guys, i've been on hols so this one has taken a while, sorry!! hope you like it, please **review, **it's always much appreciated. oh and the story will start to pic up the pace soon, bet it's set to be a long one, hope that's ok. Love you all, thanks again for your amazing support and enthusiasm._

***

Hermione was very relieved when the stuffy car journey came to an end. They all piled out of the small, blue car and gathered their belongings on the station forecourt. Hermione didn't hesitate as she crossed the car park and entered into the building; Harry was hot on her heels,

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Oh my god Harry!" She called back over her shoulder, "I've been to Kings Cross before, like a million times, you said platform 9 and 10 yeah?"

"Yeah." Harry called back, thrown off balance by her self-assurance.

The odd party reached the destination, Hermione falling back and watching as Fred, George and Mr and Mrs Weasley walked themselves right through a brick wall. She had been ready to stifle her amazement, they had warned her in the car, but Hermione still gripped her trolley till her knuckles were white. Ginny threw her a look,

"She is never going to make it through. Come on Ron," She nudged her brother forward and he half shrugged apologetically and then went with her through the barrier, leaving Harry and Hermione staring at each other. _How much could I be risking for this girl I barely know? _Harry thought, _Statue of Secrecy and everything…and still there's everything that Ollivander said…and then there's the fact that I know she's worth it, I know she belongs with us…God I must be crazy! _

"Walk with me," He muttered, "We'll go up to the barrier, stop and lean on it gently, then hopefully you'll fall through just like me."

"If not?"

"If not…" He trailed off, "Then you can wait her and Molly and Arthur will give you a lift home, and it's goodbye till next summer I'm afraid." Hermione nodded with grim determination,

"Let's do it." They leaned casually against the barrier and Harry looked at Hermione for some confirmation. She nodded excitedly, she could feel the wall slipping away from her and it was extremely surreal. She suppressed a squeal of ecstasy and gripped at Harry's hand.

A moment or so later they stumbled out of the wall and Hermione clapped her hand to her mouth- utterly speechless. There was another platform, and entire other platform that just wasn't there in the 'real' world. She left her trolley and ran quickly around the pillar she'd just come through; there was no doubt about it, she had changed worlds. And in this world there was a brick red _steam _train, yes a steam train, and a platform buzzing with people. The adults were all obviously witches or wizards, and had dressed as such, there were kids of all ages in normal clothes, or 'Muggle' clothes as she would now call them, and some, mostly younger than her, tripping around in over-sized black robes holding animals of varying degrees of witchy-ness. Harry was frowning though,

"What's up?"

"Didn't you feel it as we came through?"

"Feel what?"

"A sort of resistance." Hermione thought hard,

"A little," She admitted, "But I thought that was normal."

"No," Harry shook his head concernedly.

"Oh well." She quickly moved the conversation on before they got into dangerous waters, "I'm here!" She gave an excited squeak,

"I know." Harry grinned and they both burst into spontaneous laughter.

Ginny strode up to them and gave Hermione a once-over.

"You made it then." She commented with a click of her tongue. Then without waiting for a reply, "Whatever you say Harry, she still doesn't belong here. Let's get on." She rolled her eyes and stalked off.

"You know when you said it might take her 'a while' to warm up to me?" Hermione gave Harry a sidelong look,

"Yeah well, with Ginny, that could be a very, very long while." He smiled ruefully.

***

It had taken Hermione a little while to get over the inside of the train; steam trains just didn't exist anymore. She was now sat, staring avidly out of the window, in a carriage with Ron and Harry.

"How long?" She asked, for the millionth time. Ron and Harry exchanged knowing smiles,

"Not long," It was Ron's turn to reply. "You should probably get changed." He pointed out,

"What in here?" Hermione was horrified and Harry suppressed a laugh,

"Silly, _we _get changed in here, you can go along to the toilets at the end of the carriage."

"Oh I see." She breathed a sigh of relief and began extracting her robes from her trunk. "So where?" Harry opened the door for her and they both leaned out into the quiet corridor,

"Down to the end of this carriage," He pointed. "And then between this one and the next one are the toilets, the girls' are on the left."

"Thank you." Hermione gave him a grateful smile and nervously began edging her way along the carriage.

When she had changed into her uniform Hermione surveyed herself critically in the swaying mirror. Her skirt was grey and knee length with pleats, which were so not her style, and she wore plain shoes and over-the-knee socks.

"Hi." Hermione turned to see who had spoken,

"Hi," It was a tall, pretty, Asian girl, with sleek black hair falling onto the shoulders of her immaculate uniform.

"I wouldn't wear your uniform like that if I were you," A shorter, blonde girl stood further back informed her. Hermione gulped, feeling a little over whelmed,

"Why not?" The Asian girl exchanged a long look with her friend.

"Come here," Her mouth formed into a perfect smile. "You want to roll your skirt up like this," She lifted the hem of her shirt to reveal neat folds where she'd shortened her skirt,

"Ok, I'll- erm- try." Hermione fumbled as she tried to roll hers up the same,

"I'd go three rolls over." The blonde girl put in, unhelpfully,

"Yeah," The first girl agreed, looking Hermione up and down and then giving a decisive nod, "You've got the legs for it." Hermione now felt distinctly uncomfortable. "Perfect." She gave an approving smile, "Now you can work those socks perfectly too. Oh and if you're going to wear a cardigan, which is cool if you do, just be sure to unbutton it." She paused as Hermione followed her instructions. "And now just loosen your tie a little, then undo you're top button. And when you do put your cloak on don't do it right up, just let it hang. There you look lovely." She finalised and then ran straight into her next sentence, "I'm Cho by the way, Cho Chang." _Oh I see! _Hermione thought, _this is Harry's ex-girlfriend. Well I can see why she was a girlfriend but not why she's an ex; she's stunning. _

"Hi, I'm Hermione."

"Interesting name," Cho pointed out, "I'll see you around Hermione," Once Cho had left, Hermione looked in the mirror once more. She ruffled her hair a few times and gave a satisfactory nod,

"Yeah," She said quietly, "I look alright."

"Wow!" Hermione slid the door shut behind her and looked over at Ron,

"What?" She asked, hand on hip

"You were right Harry, she does belong here." The two boys smirked and Hermione instantly blushed.

"Oh shut up." She whispered, knowing exactly what they were getting at.

"We're gonna be there in about ten minutes." Harry informed her, helping her regain composure.

"Ok, are all my things alright?" She waved a hand around the carriage. Harry nodded.

"Just be prepared for the carriages. When we get there we get off, just stick with me and Ron, we'll find us a carriage- they're um, pulled by nothing."

"Well…" Ron dropped in and then trailed off uncertainly. Harry shrugged,

"Well they are pulled by these black, um, horse things, but they can only be seen if you've seen someone die."

"Oh right." Hermione tried not to be unnerved, "So to me and Ron they'll look like nothing, it will be like the carriage is pulling itself."

"You got it."

***

Hermione clung tightly to Harry's outstretched hand as they shoved their way through the crowd.

"Ron's got us one!" He yelled back in Hermione's general direction. She squeezed his hand in reply rather than waste her voice.

"They're pulling themselves." Hermione was stunned with disbelief, "They really are." Harry and Ron laughed,

" 'fraid so." Ron slapped her on the back and stepped round her into the carriage.

"Come on Mione," Harry held his hand and pulled her up into the old fashioned carriage.

"Mione?" Hermione pouted her lips.

"Yeah!" Harry laughed, "You don't like it?" Gradually a smile spread on her face,

"It's alright I s'pose."

"Mione it is then." Ron winked at her from the opposite seat.

Hermione couldn't have been more nervous as she entered Hogwarts. She could barely take in the vastness of the structure, with its never ending staircases and portraits, which she had already been warned could move and talk, but no amount of warning could prepare her for it. She was swept up in the swirling mass of uniformed students and bound into a huge hall, set out for dining. Inside there was so much to take in she could hardly catch her breath.

"There are ghosts." She whispered, clinging to Harry's arm, suddenly giddy, "I mean real life gho- oh my god!" She'd just looked at the ceiling and it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. As she spun in a full circle, eyes still glued on the overhead spectacle, she toppled rather drunkenly into Harry.

"Steady on dolly-day-dream. Don't worry, it's always like this first time you see it. You wont really find it sinks in for about a week, then you get used to it and it's just standard old Hogwarts."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it." She said with feeling, glancing around at the ornate table decorations and solid gold platters.

"Hermione Granger!" An echoing voice boomed the room into stunned silence, and as Hermione turned, so did every head, right towards her. Mione quickly went crimson as she looked up at the elderly man that had called her name. Harry gave her a prod in the back and began walking with her to where the man stood in the centre of the table at the head of the room.

"Quick introduction needed," Harry whispered in her ear, "That's professor Dumbledore, our current head master. He's the nicest, kindest man you will ever meet but don't let the appearance fool you because he is the most powerful wizard alive today and no one will cross him." He spoke faster, "Be respectful when you talk to him and, in all seriousness, don't bother lying about _anything, _because he can always tell and he usually knows the answer anyway." Hermione gulped as she came face to face with the tall, bearded man. His face broke a gentle smile and he waved a delicate looking hand towards a door at the back of the hall,

"If you would Miss Granger." She gave Harry a frightened look, but he merely shrugged and backed away, exchanging a glance with the Head Master before retreating to Ron's side. She had no choice but to do as she was asked.


	6. Powerful Witch

**Author's Note: **Hey you guys :) another update, please keep up the wonderful reviews, i need the support cos it keeps me writing for you lot :D im gna be pretty busy for a while so i may not update for a bit but i'll try and do it as soon as poss. hopefully this chapter is nice and long and interesting :) and i wna leave more questions than answers!! so yea...review...love you all to peices my wonderful readers!!!!

xxx

Hermione stood awkwardly next to the Headmaster as he sat down, blushing to her roots at the head of the whole hall. Even though the feast was under way most people felt they should spare her a glance and a whisper behind their hands.

"Go and sit down then, Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore instructed.

"Where sir?" Her voice was croaky with embarrassment.

"I thought that was apparent Miss Granger?" He smiled mysteriously, leaving the question unanswered, and focused entirely on the food in front of him. Hermione felt her own stomach grumble. She scuttled down till she was on a level with the four tables and then hurriedly made her way to the space Harry and Ron had made for her.

"What did he say to you?" Harry asked, Ron leaning in keenly. Hermione even thought she caught Ginny's eyes flick up to watch her.

"He said if I felt I belonged here that I should stay, but that it wouldn't be easy," She hesitated, "He gave me this." She produced a letter, already opened, from her robe pocket and flashed it towards Harry then Ron.

"Hogwarts acceptance letter." Ron said automatically, "Little late don't you think?" he fired his question around Hermione at Harry, who nodded.

"But that's just it." Hermione said excitedly, "Look at the date." Harry followed the line of her finger to the date.

"September four years ago." He whispered, realisation hitting him and Ron at the same time,

"The same time as we received ours." Ron finished for him.

"That's my point. It's a total mystery, and he wouldn't tell me anything."

"Yeah he's a bit like that." Ron muttered, "Always speaks in Riddles if you ask me." Hermione sighed,

"Anyway," She hated mysteries, she'd rather change the subject. "Tell me about what goes on here. What's with the four tables?" Harry smiled.

"So there are four houses, right?"

"Yeah, some normal schools have them. So you get house points, and have competitions, like regular schools?"

"Something like that." Harry pointed to the four over sized hour glasses behind the teachers table, "Those are our house points and the competitions are mainly on broomsticks."

"Keeping up so far, just about." Hermione laughed somewhat nervously.

"There's some boring history behind all this but basically the four houses are Griffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You are put into house according to what sort of person you are, you missed that bit earlier, all the first years get 'sorted'." He paused with a smile to check she was still following. "So Griffindor is us, anywhere you see the house colours Gold and Red, that's to do with Griffindor. We're supposed to be brave and chivalrous." Ron snorted into his drink,

"With the emphasis on _supposed_." He teased.

"Then there's Ravenclaw." Harry pointed over the table next to them to the third in the row, "Cho's in that house." He pointed her out, speaking animatedly to her friends, "But we're friends with Luna," He indicated a dreamy looking blonde girl sat by herself, "And Padma." A few seats along, watching Cho with an expression of distaste, was a very pretty Asian girl who noticed Harry's glance and gave a wave.

"Cho, Luna and Padma- Ravenclaw? Got it."

"People in Ravenclaw are very bright and sensible." Hermione felt an uncertainty, _should I be sat over there, on the 'geeks' table_. That was always where she'd sat at her normal school. "Then you've got Hufflepuff, they're even tempered, hard workers, always try- that sort of thing. We're friends with Terry Boot and Hannah Abbott." He waved his hand at a group of people and Hermione couldn't make out which couple he meant but nodded anyway. "The last house is Slytherin. There's an age-old history between our two houses, born rivals. They are cunning and ambitious, usually nasty with it; lots from their house go over to Voldemort." He whispered the word so that only Hermione could hear. He'd told her all about his history with Voldemort and she understand why he said it in hushed tones; in truth, it terrified her a little.

"Who's that staring at us?" She nodded in a casual way over her left shoulder. Harry followed her gaze, "Draco Malfoy he's a nasty piece of work, his dad's the worst- a death eater, Draco will be soon too." Hermione gulped as she took in his blonde, attractive figure. Ron must have caught her blush,

"Stay away from him if you've got any sense." He growled with warning. Hermione looked between the two boys and saw how serious they were; she nodded, though reluctantly.

"And that girl next to him, giving us major evils, she's his girlfriend?"

"His tag along," Harry informed her, "He doesn't care for her but she's a good accessory." Hermione nodded, instantly assessing the girl. She knew her type well: fashionable hair cut, layered in makeup, mean face and an expression that looked down on everyone- these girls were _always _someone's accessory.

-*-

Hermione panicked for a moment as everyone in the hall began to move around her. She grabbed to Harry's sleeve but he barely noticed, distracted by something else and slipped away from her grip. Hermione tried to follow but ended up spinning in a circle, confused by the melee of students flowing around her.

"It's ok, I've got you." Ron smiled taking her hand and pulling her through the pulsing crowd towards the door they had entered through. Hermione clung on gratefully. As they squeezed through the main doors and were propelled towards a large stair case Ron began to give her a guided tour,

"To your left and along is the secret passage to the kitchens, they're staffed by elves, then also the Hufflepuff common room and a couple of classrooms. To your right, there are more classrooms and the staircases to the dungeons." Hermione gulped apprehensively.

"Dungeons?" Ron looked nonplussed

"Yeah. They teach Potions down there and the Slytherin common room is there too. There are seven floors and four main towers. Griffindor in one tower, Ravenclaw in another, Astronomy in another and Divination in another." Hermione liked the sound of astronomy, it seemed that so far that was the only normal subject she had heard. "Oh and the staircases move." He added as an afterthought, pointing above his head into a maze of twisting and turning staircases.

"Oh I know." She replied automatically. Remembering her dream.

"How do you?" Ron threw her a quizzical look over his shoulder and she instantly turned red.

"Erm, dunno, guess Harry must have mentioned it." She tried to sound casual and Ron quickly lost interest.

-*-

"You made it." Harry smiled warmly and patted the sofa next to him. Hermione placed herself delicately on the edge of the cushions and was nearly thrown off as Ron dropped himself heavily in between her and Harry. "Formal introductions to the gang." Harry grinned. "The boys from our Dorm." A slightly stout, shy looking boy raised a hand,

"Neville," Hermione nodded and smiled.

"Seamus, all yours honey." A cute, dark haired boy with a broad Irish accent winked at her and Hermione giggled,

"Delighted." She smiled.

"Yo! Dean." The dark skinned boy sat next to them nodded his head- whether in approval or greeting Hermione had no idea, but she offered a smile in return.

"And the girls, who you'll be sharing a dormitory with." Ginny grunted.

"Do we _have _to?" She rolled her eyes. Clearly sensing tension, yet another stunning Asian girl stuck out her hand for Hermione to shake.

"Parvati Patil." Hermione did a double take,

"Uncanny isn't it." Ron joked in her ear,

"You're, um, Padma's twin?" Parvati nodded.

"Lavender Brown." A girl with blonde curly hair, sat very close to Ginny, gave her a once over with a reserved smile. Hermione knew instantly that these girls wouldn't be easily won. She was about to think of something she could say to clear the air when Fred and George appeared, taking the job from her hands.

"How's the newbie?"

"You settling in good Granger?" She smiled to each in turn.

"Great thanks…yeah, really great." In she felt truly at home.

-*-

Hermione closed the heavy, main doors behind her, cringing as she heard them creak. She moved across the darkened grounds, somehow knowing the way, as she always seemed to, and walked without fear into the scariest looking forest she'd ever seen. The trees were dense and she could barely see, but she didn't need to worry about getting lost or hurt- her dream would take her there and back. She reached a clearing and a hooded figure, back towards her, welcomed her,

"_My dearest Hermione, how are you?"_

"_Should I know you?" It appeared not to hear her. Back still turned it began to pace and Hermione felt curious._

"_I've been waiting for you, and there are some things I will need you to do. But less of that now, the contact will present himself and the right time and you will do as he says. You understand me Hermione?" She nodded, knowing by instinct he could see her. His voice sent shivers down her spine. _

"_Wait for your contact to present themselves, help them with our task, and then return to you?" She felt as though someone else had control of her voice, she barely knew the words she spoke before they were out of her mouth, let alone did she know what they meant._

"_That's right my sweet. But for now you run along back to bed before you're caught." _

-*-

Hermione toyed nervously with her breakfast. Ron leant across from his seat next to Lavender and gave her arm a quick squeeze. _You'll be fine. _His face told her. _Thanks. _Her eyes replied gratefully.

"You wanted to know about the teachers yeah?" She was glad it was Harry to bring up her concerns from the previous night.

"Yes please!" She nodded fervently.

"Take a guess at what they teach." Harry looked playfully at her. Hermione was already getting used to his guessing games.

"Well the little tubby one with the straw sticking out of her clothes has to teach, like some form of gardening." She paused for a moment, "You call the Herbology here." He nodded happily. "The one with the enormous dark nails and the stars on her hat has to be Astronomy."

"Yeah, and the dippy looking one next to her with the owl-glasses is Professor Trelawny, she takes Divination class."

"Could have guessed that." Hermione giggled. "Well Dumbledore is obvious. That man _must _be Hagrid- you described him to me, said he taught Care of Magical Creatures? And then the scary looking one giving us the eye, what does he teach?"

"Potions." Harry muttered, "Head Of Slytherin house. And next to him is our head of house. Be warned she's terrifying but very fair and incredibly nice if you're on her right side. Her name's professor McGonagall." Harry glanced sidelong at her and seemed to read her mind. "I know she doesn't look like anything special but she's fairly formidable, and her and Dumbledore are very close, he trusts her totally."

"You seem pretty close to Dumbledore." Hermione pointed out. Causing a flash of tension to cross Ginny's face,

"I- erm- I guess I am, he's sort of like a replacement dad to me I guess." The end of Harry's sentence trailed off and Ginny laid a hand on his arm; Hermione now understood the 'look'.

"Sorry." She whispered.

-*-

"Are you going to try then Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall towered over her as she twisted her wand nervously between her fingers, looking down at the edge of her wooden bench, "Well?" The whole class was looking at her. The task: to transfigure an hourglass into a convincing looking owl (of course it could never be a real one). In her head Hermione shrunk back and said _no, I think I'll just leave it thanks, I'm really sure how to use this wand yet._ "Trust in yourself." The Professor seemed to sense what she was thinking.

"Ok," She whispered uncertainly, well aware of the mixture of nervousness and scepticism present in the classroom. She focused on her wand, on the feeling of control that itched through her fingers, on turning the inanimate hourglass into a graceful creature of night and flight. She was about to utter the words, not even sure she could pronounce them right when…poof.

The hourglass became owl like in an instant, no incantation required. It ruffled its wings and the class looked suitable impressed- then incredibly impressed. The owl took off. It flew one whole circuit of the classroom, uttering its soft coo and then landing back on Hermione's desk and blinked benignly up at her. Professor McGonagall regained her power of speech,

"Upon my word." She shook her head,

"Was that me?" Hermione stuttered, astounded.

"Bloody hell."

"I think Mr Weasley summed it up accurately and succinctly enough for us all." Hermione couldn't help but giggle, "Quite extraordinary…quite, quite remarkable."

After class Hermione enjoyed being the centre of attention as they milled through the corridor.

"That was amazing."

"And you're like a first year, we couldn't have done that back then."

"I can't do that now." Hermione looked sympathetically at Neville.

"Seriously it was the best transfiguration in the whole class all lesson, you're a total natural."

"You must be a pretty powerful witch Mione," Harry told her softly.

"Really?" He nodded,

"Really." Hermione glowed in his compliment. Then there was a derisive snort from behind. Hermione turned, she hadn't noticed Ginny approach.

"Please! I'll have to see _that _before I believe it." Mione sighed, would she ever win Ginny over?


	7. A New 'Friend'

**Author's Note: **_Hey guys, long time no post...i know! :( sorry. So please keep up the wonderful reviewing and commenting on this chapter, a huge thanks to all my regular reviewers who do it every chapter!! it really means a lot that you take you time to write down ur comments. :D hope you like it...._

***

Hermione resented that she had the highest pile of books in the whole 'private study' session; as she knew the least she had the most to learn. Subjects like charms, transfiguration, defence against the dark arts and even potions she had found very easy. She was already top in most of them, much to her pride, and she'd only been here a week, all she needed to do was think what she wanted and the wand did it for her. Hermione had never experienced power in this way; it was thrilling. But when it came to the other subjects, like history of magic, care of magical creatures, Herbology and just about everything else- she was missing the facts. She was missing four years of basic teaching and her reading had become extremely extensive. She glanced up, running a hand through her frizzy-feeling hair. Hermione noticed Cho wave and smile from the other side of the room, flicking her silky hair back from her perfect, crease-free uniform, Hermione was dazzled by how glamorous Cho was, even a little envious. She waved back enthusiastically,

"Who are you waving to Mione?" Harry looked up from his work to smile. Or maybe he'd been looking anyway. Hermione caught Ginny's eye, remembering her sharp words yesterday: _We just don't speak to them, ok? _She'd snapped.

"Er…" She stumbled, under Ginny's fierce gaze, "Luna." She lied quickly, pointing to the vacant blonde two tables along who looked around at the mention of her name and then continued to read her book- upside down. Harry nodded and smiled fondly. Ginny gave a half shrug, which seemed to say, _alright then, if you insist. _

Hermione picked up a history book and got up, turning to replace on its shelf. She saw a pair of grey eyes watching her from the next shelf back. She gave an uncertain smile, trying to place a name to the face. It was Draco Malfoy- the one the Griffindors didn't like. He was leant casually against the bookcase, tie undone and a beckoning look in his eyes. He jerked his head, indicating she should come and join him. Bemused but pleased Hermione checked no one was watching and quickly, quietly, slipping round the back of the shelf.

"Hi." She giggled, nervously fluffing up her hair with one hand.

"Hello," He cleared his throat and came closer. "Do you want to walk with me?" He raised his eye brows meaningfully and Hermione frowned, "You know…" He look shifty and then something stirred in her memory. _'The contact will present himself at the right time'. _Was Draco the contact of her mysterious friend?

"Yeah. Nice you finally _contacted _me."

"You're hopeless at subtle." He looked at her witheringly and gave a slight wink. The pair snuck out of one of the smaller doors to the library and began to walk down yet another corridor that Hermione couldn't remember seeing so far- there were many of them.

"So it is you?"

"Is me what?" Hermione was perplexed.

"You're the one our master thinks is so important."

"Our master?" Hermione stumbled over the thought in her brain and had to stop walking.

"Wow you really don't know?" Draco looked incredulous and a little curious, "You're under the command of The Dark Lord."

"The man in the cloak, in my dream." It was supposed to be an inner thought but she realised too late that she'd voiced it.

"The man…what?" Draco was confused.

"I, erm, met him the other day." He raised his eyebrows, "But I never saw his face."

"You met the Dark Lord? …Look I don't have time to fill you in, I don't know what He's doing but I guess He's keeping you in the dark for a reason." Hermione's frown deepened. "I was told to tell you that you'll need Potter's help for the task He is setting you and that you'll need the whole gang on your side. Also that you're not to trust Dumbledore, he's dangerous, trying to sabotage our plans." She nodded, uncertainly, though it went against everything Harry had told her so far about this world. "You got it?" He searched her face and Hermione nodded. Draco patted her arm awkwardly. "Library's that way." He pointed with a coy smile, "I'll see you Hermione."

"Wait!" He turned back sharply, "The Dark Lord, our- our Master…what's his name?" Draco walked back towards her a few paces and looked around furtively,

"Once, he used to be called Tom Riddle, he went to this school. But…" He looked down, "Now he's just Lord Voldemort." The corner of Draco's mouth twitched and he walked away briskly. Hermione's head echoed and reeled; something here was very, very wrong.

Voldemort…that's definitely the one that killed Harry's parents. And he's my master? Our master? What's going on?

Her head was hurting with confusion and she couldn't bring herself to go and be with the others for the rest of the day; she felt a traitor and she didn't even know what she'd done. It was Fred that found her sitting on the steps outside the main doors with her head in her hands, or was it George?

"Hi George." She muttered,

"Fred." He corrected with a smile and plonked himself on the step next to her, and above her. "Hi yourself." They waited in silence for a minute. "Good day?" Hermione half shrugged,

"Not really. You?"

"Pants." He nodded mater-of-fact-ly. "Didn't go to first or second lesson, McGonagall caught us trying to test some new hex's on a third year and George is still dealing with the consequences." Fred grinned amicably, as though the day's achievements pleased him. Hermione couldn't help but smile. "So what's up with you grumpy knickers?" He gave her a dig with his elbow, "Being the new kid tough on you?"

"No, that's not the problem, I almost wish it was." Fred looked concerned,

"Anything you feel like spillin' while we're chillin'?"

"What do you know about Voldemort?" Fred flinched,

"Don't say his name." Hermione read the expression on his face as fear.

"Why not?"

"Ok let me fill you in on the full gruesome mouldy-voldy history…you up for some serious gore?" Hermione almost giggled, but nodded.

-*-

"Oh god Fred. You're not exaggerating?" She asked, hopefully.

"'fraid not." Hermione looked down.

"I don't know where to start. I've done something awful, I know it, but I can't tell anyone because I don't even understand it myself. I think- oh I don't know what I think. I don't really know what I've done, but it's bad Fred, really bad."

"Cryptic." He mused for a moment, "Who you gonna call?" Hermione burst into laughter,

"No matter how serious a situation…"

"…I'd find a joke." He finished for her. "You sure you can't tell me more than that." Hermione shook her head fervently. "Well _my_ best bet, Little Miss Muggle, would be to go to Dumbledore, he _always _has an answer. Bit bonkers but on the whole a good all round guy." Hermione nodded and smiled uncertainly. _He's Harry's father-figure, Fred says he always has an answer…but he's going to bring down our plans? Who is 'we' though, who am I working for? _"You ok?" Fred cut through her puzzling,

"Yeah, this is all very new to me Fred. Everything takes a lot of getting used to, and I mean everything, even the spells, even being able to just understand why you guys are saying." Fred stood up and then leant down a hand to help her to her feet,

"Hey," He opened his arms and Hermione was happy to be wrapped in a bear hug. "You _are _one of us lot now. Harry made that clear when he brought you here. You're the same as us, that's obvious."

"Then why didn't my letter arrive five years ago?"

-*-

Hermione was stood by the lake, well aware that it was night and she was cold. She heard footsteps and spun around.

"_Draco!"_

"_shh." He pointed to her right and Hermione turned to look. There was her hooded friend again, and still no face showing. "My Lord." Draco crooned and Hermione mimicked,_

"_My lord." A little more shakily. _

"_Good work Draco, be sure to keep looking after her though, you must understand that Hermione is very precious to me." Draco nodded subserviently. "And Miss Granger, you are enjoying your new life."_

"_Erm yes. I like it here." She didn't know what else to say, _

"_Now then my sweet, let's not be modest, you have excelled haven't you?" Hermione remained silent, "You have talent you never dreamed of, has she not Draco?" The smooth command in his voice was from some higher authority than a teacher, or even the quiet voice of her headmaster. _

"_She has." Draco answered somewhat resentfully. "Now about the plans-"_

"Silence!" The hooded figure hissed viciously. Then seemed to soften again, "I merely wanted to check our Miss Granger was settling in, you can run along now dear. We wont bore you with men's talk." Hermione was frustrated but in no position to argue. Draco was raising his eyebrows dramatically and making subtle shooing movements,

"_Goodnight Draco, goodnight, er, my Lord." _


	8. The Duel and The 'Truth'

**Author's Note: **Sorry it took so long, i've had exams, but i've also been trying to decide where i'm taking this story line, now i know...so hopefully you will like it :) also starting a new story really soon....keep a look out for that!! :)

**review :D thanks, it makes my day!!**

"But Professor!" Hermione insisted. She was trying to make a point but the splendour of the Head Master's office was overwhelming, she kept getting distracted. Harry stood with her, if only for moral support. "That _can't _be it? Just ignore the dreams?"

"Other people have dreamed of Lord Voldemort and come to no harm. He is a very powerful conjurer." Dumbledore was calm and his tone even. Harry snorted, he wasn't sure that 'no harm' quite qualified for what happened to the only other person that dreamed of Voldemort. Though Hermione's decision to confide in himself and Ron shocked him, he was secretly a little pleased that he wasn't the only one with dream-related issues.

"Please sir…these dreams, they're…" She didn't want to say 'real'. The fact that her living world seemed to literally carry on from her dream world was a little more than even she could handle; and her brain had taken a lot already in the couple of weeks. "They aren't just dreams." She settled for.

"Meaning what Miss Granger?" The Professor stepped forward, intrigued, his bright blue eyes piercing through her.

"They just-" She faltered, "They seem very, very real. Things happen in them, that are…" Again she stopped, her brain was conflicting deeply. "Things happen that seem quite real." She wasn't telling it how it was, doing the dreams justice, but something inside her couldn't. Remembering the words of Draco Malfoy _'he's the enemy' _yet she couldn't see how he could be. Things weren't adding up; the wizarding world didn't add up.

"You're sure that's it?" _He knows, he obviously knows I'm hiding something, _Hermione's gut instinct told her that much at least. She blushed a little.

"Sure sir."

"Then I think you have little to fear, I will keep an eye out for you." Harry noted Dumbledore's lapse into his 'thinking' tone as a cue to leave and tactfully took Hermione by the elbow, edging her out of the room.

"Sir!" Hermione pleaded. "Can you tell me why I didn't come to Hogwarts when I was eleven? I am a witch, aren't I?" Dumbledore looked tired suddenly,

"Of that, Miss Granger, I have no doubt." He sighed, "As to your letter… all I can assume is that there must have been a reason. Little in our world goes unplanned, as you will doubtless find, Miss Granger."

-*-

"Damn that is text book ambiguous." Hermione nodded, hugging her cushion closer to her chest. She looked at Harry and he nodded and shrugged too. She was sat next to Ron, with Fred and George, on the sofa; Harry sat opposite on the floor, with Ginny and Luna. "Still," Ron continued, "At least we know one thing."

"What's that?"

"Dumbledore said that you're _meant _to be here." Hermione smiled, half heartedly.

"I already knew that." She whispered, sharing a long and meaningful look with Harry. Ginny snorted.

"That's as maybe." She muttered. "_I've _yet to see real proof." Harry laid a warning hand on her arm. "No Harry." Her voice rose, "I want to see some actual evidence that she is one of us at all." Hermione blushed and shrugged,

"How do I- ?" She looked across the sofa for some answers.

"Duel." Ginny answered for her. Instantly there was an uproar of protests.

"Ginny she doesn't know any spells."

"She's never been in a duel."

"You'll obviously win that's totally unfair."

"It's ok!" Hermione had to shout to make herself heard. "I'll do it," Then she laughed nervously, "Just for fun, right?" Ginny pursed her lips,

"Right." She replied through gritted teeth.

"Mione…" Ron stood up, throwing a glare in Ginny's location.

"I've got it, Ron." She said, irritated, and Ron sat down mutinously. "So, um," The two girls looked at each other. Ginny beckoned and they moved further away, towards a clear space of floor, Hermione quickly eyeing all the possible places she was going to hit her head when she fell.

"On my count." Ginny muttered, "One, two, three- Expelliamus!" Hermione's mind flashed faster than she knew it could, _I need a shield. _"Woah!" Ginny was thrown off balance a little and Hermione shielded her eyes as a white light appeared and easily deflected Ginny's spells. "Levicorpus!" _Same again, please. _Hermione begged her wand; it obeyed, this time knocking Ginny a few paces sideways. Now she was mad. Hermione needed an attack to throw back while she was off balance, _disarm and knock over. _She didn't want to do any more than that.

Hermione felt a rush of power go through her arm and then trickle into her wand. It exploded out of the other end with a golden flash and when Mione opened her eyes Ginny was looking put out, sat on the floor, and reaching for her wand. There was the echo of laughing and a little joke-y cheer.

"Hey, sorry. I don't really know what I'm doing." Hermione admitted quietly to Ginny offering a hand. Ginny just glared at it and stood up. She brushed down her jeans, looking flustered and embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Forget it." Ginny marched up towards her dormitory and Hermione gulped, turning slowly around and blushing.

"I should go." Luna chipped in and broke the uneasy silence that had sprung up.

"Yes!" Harry pounced on her excuse with relief, "Night night Lu," He gave her a brief hug. As Luna past by Hermione she smiled,

"Don't worry, that's just Ginny. You're very good. And Ron is right, you're one of us for sure."

"How do you know? I can't even control my powers." Hermione confessed her weakness.

"Because some things I know. And you can, you just need time. We all need time." Luna walked off slowly, throwing a casual wave back over her shoulder. Hermione waited for her to leave and then came to a decision in her head. The group split off and still she waited, steeling herself for the truth.

"Harry, Ron!" They came over, she looked sheepish, "Sorry." They shrugged, "I need you to do something for me," She rushed on, "I can't control my power, I think there's something bigger going on. I need your help. There's this thing…"

"Hermione what is it?" Harry stepped forward in concern.

"My dreams are real." She got it out quickly and waited.

"Ooo-kay." Ron looked at her as though she was mad,

"I'm not crazy Ron. I know what's happening, at least I think I do. Will you guys wait down here tonight, and if I sleep walk- you have to follow me. Please?" Harry and Ron looked nervous, Harry took a deep breath,

"Mione…this is a little crazy, surely someone would have noticed if you'd been sleep walking."

"Well I don't know." She said cautiously, "But my life literally carries on from my dreams."

"Proof?" Ron asked sceptically.

"When I first met Harry I…oh god don't hate me." She swallowed hard, "Harry when I was first talking to you, I was _dreaming _it. No joke. It was in my dream, and then I saw you in real life. That's not a coincidence?"

"Maybe you're a Seer?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Harry!" Hermione snapped, "Do you remember meeting up lots this summer, talking to me about your life?"

"Well yes but-"

"Ron, did I come to your house? Appear, somehow, halfway up your drive, you were carrying shopping, couldn't figure out how I'd got so close to your house?" Ron gaped like a goldfish,

"You're not in anyway kidding?"

"No. That was all in my dream, I dreamt it, but it was real." She closed her eyes, "And recently I dreamt I was working for Lord Voldemort." Ron twitched,

"Don't." He whispered.

"That's it," Harry nodded at Ron, "We'll help you."

"Harry, I swear I don't know what I'm doing…if I'm helping him I'm so-"

"I said we'll help." He stared into the distance, "I wont let him use you to get to me."


	9. Branded

**Author's Note: **_Hope you like the next installment, hopefully this story will pick up the pace a bit now!! :) **PLEASE REVIEW **oh and follow my Blog :)_

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Hermione walked through the common room and glided out through the portrait hole. Down staircases that she now knew well, across the echo-y entrance hall and out into the moonlight. She breathed in deeply the rich, pungent smell of freshly rained on grass and slightly sticky mud. Hermione knew by instinct that what she was looking for was over by the tree line.

"Harry you have got to be kidding me?" Ron and Harry watched Hermione from the shadows on the front steps of Hogwarts as she walked very definitely down towards the forbidden forest.

"We need to know." Harry was desperate, "It's not her Ron, she's under his command somehow, we have to help."

"Why because you fancy her?"

"I don't." Harry snapped very quickly, "She's a good friend Ron, I feel…connected, somehow to her. But that's not why I have to help. I can't let anyone be controlled by Voldemort and not do something about it. That's morally wrong Ron, you know it."

"But…" Ron looked fearful, "Supposing Voldemort's down there. What are you going to do? Walk right up to him and snatch her away?" He was exasperated.

"No. Come on, we're losing her." Harry and Ron crept down the hill, a good distance behind Hermione and also to the right. When she drew close to the tree line, they dropped into it, but a way away, to avoid any Death Eater contact. Inch by inch they crept forward, till they could see a few figures; one, very distinctly smaller, was Hermione.

"This'll do." Harry whispered, "Listen hard." They lay very still, wands clutched in fear.

"Now then Hermione, my pet, you've been to Dumbledore haven't you?" The little Hermione knew about Voldemort told her not to cross him. He seemed to be her friend, ally, or master- but she didn't think he was safe.

"_Erm," Could she lie to him? "Yes. I wanted to find out about my Hogwarts letter."_

"_Never mind about the letter!" Voldemort's whisper was shrill and forceful, "You understand? The past is not important. The future is everything. Can- I – trust – you?" He articulated the threat in his words very carefully. Hermione searched herself; could he trust her? She thought he could, and yet, she didn't know whether what she saw she'd just tell. _

"_I – yes, yes you can." _

"_Good." His breath rattled out in something like a sigh. "Now for your mission?"_

"_My m-mission?" Hermione looked around rather hopelessly. There was a hooded figure either side of Voldemort but no one she recognised. "Where's Draco? I thought it would be our mission, you know, together?" _

Ron looked daggers at Harry,

"She knows what she's doing alright." He whispered through gritted teeth, he made to get up, "I can't believe we trusted her."

"Ron no!" Harry's whisper was forced as he grabbed at Ron's arm, "Wait," He was seething too, shaking with anger, but there was nothing they could do by running away now.

"This is not Draco's fight, though he will help you if you require it." Hermione desperately looked for something else to say, more distraction from her mission. But Voldemort continued, "He has his own mission, involving Potter and his friends. But yours is a little more serious than that: I need you to kill Dumbledore." His eyes bored into her, daring her to defying him,

"I- I- Kill?" Hermione stalled for time, "I wouldn't even know the spell."

"You don't need words. You and I both know, don't we? That magic is beyond mere spells and incantations. The power you shall gain by my side Hermione, it is unthinkable."

"I can't-" She stopped short, sensing the shortening of his rattling breath, the presence of anger that hummed around him. "As you wish my Lord." She gulped, Hermione couldn't kill, that much was certain. "May I leave now? Before someone sees I am gone."

"Of course my dear." Hermione attempted a sedate walk up to the castle, hoping Voldemort would slip back into the forest, or wherever he came from.

Ron and Harry slowly back away from their hiding place. They didn't break the cover of the tree line till the were by the Quiddich pitch, they followed the line of the stadium round and then made towards Hermione. She saw them out of the corner of her eye. Mione shook her head fervently and made a slight gesture towards the forest; Voldemort was still watching. Harry smacked his forehead and Ron rolled his eyes, how could they have forgotten about the invisibility cloak? Harry pulled it from his pocket and threw it over them both.

Hermione had to stifle her utter amazement as her friends disappeared. This is ridiculous, she thought, I can't believe what I'm letting myself believe is real.

-*-

They reached the common room and threw the cloak off. Both boys were angry, confused and extremely tired- Hermione no less.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ron demanded.

"Sssh!" Harry hushed quickly, though he knew better than to cross Ron when he was a mood.

"You're fraternising with the enemy!"

"The enemy? How do I know they're the enemy? You could be the enemy for all I know. I just don't know! I don't know what I'm doing. I can't control the dreams…they're dreams, for god's sake!" Harry sighed and put a hand up to silence Ron's retort.

"It wouldn't be the first time Voldemort's made someone do something without them realising. Maybe you should talk to Ginny, she knows more than she ever lets on." Hermione snorted,

"Yeah, 'cause she's not going to curse me if I step within ten feet of her ever again." There was a painful silence, each person locked up in their own thoughts of confusion. "I'm going to bed." She announced.

"We'll talk about this in the morning." Harry assured her. Ron snorted and stalked off, Harry not far behind. Hermione lingered just for a moment,

"I'm sorry." She whispered. A tear rolling down her cheek.

-*-

"So now you see what I've been telling you all along, she's no good Harry. Harry?" Hermione could hear clearly what Ginny was saying and Harry looked directly at her in part way apology, but not fully caring. She could see he was still hurt, and confused. Ginny gently pulled his face back round to face her. "We're better off without her." She gave Hermione an, if-looks-could-kill glare and then very deliberately took Harry's hand, leading him off. Mione had never felt so humiliated in her whole life. She saw Cho and her friends look over, mildly interested. Hermione smiled,

"Hi!" Cho looked at her oddly and then walked away too, shaking her head. Great, at least her and Ginny agree on something.

"Sorry Hermy," Luna shrugged and half smiled, "They'll be over it soon. I'll make them hate me instead if that would make you feel any better." Hermione could almost have laughed if the Patil twins hadn't been walking past, whispering behind their hands.

"Thanks Luna but-"

"C'mon Lu," Ron took her by the arm, looking daggers at Hermione- his look cut deepest. "We're going now."

"Oh Christ!" Hermione whispered to herself, she was just stood her letting everyone abuse her. Slowly, she began to make her way outside.

As she began down the steps Fred and George were walking towards her, neither making eye contact. She looked up, trying to catch Fred's eye, or maybe it was George.

"You didn't tell me?" Fred stopped to say, "Can't believe I fell for all that bullshit, and you acted like you didn't know." He shook his head disbelievingly,

"It wasn't like that, I swear. Fred, I didn't know what I was doing, I-"

"Just leave it Granger." They both bumped her as they walked away,

"Ow." She muttered quietly to herself. She felt the smallest she'd ever felt, as she leaned against the wall of the school and close her eyes, so very alone and so far away from everything she knew.

"You feeling it yet?" Hermione's eyes snapped open to meet the grey ones of Draco Malfoy staring back at her. He stood facing her with his arms folded.

"Feeling what? Tell me one emotion I'm not feeling right now." She heard that her voice was ragged and tired already, and couldn't change it.

"You're branded. Now they all know, you'll never get the mark off."

"What mark? What are you talking about?" Mione looked up and down herself incredulously, and then tried to look at her back, checking for a mark. Draco gave a quiet laugh.

"No real mark. Not for you at least. I mean the mark they're branding you with; traitor." Hermione sighed,

"Yeah," She hugged her arms around her body and muttered, "It's something else that's for sure. A new level of rock bottom for me to try out." Draco shrugged,

"It'll get better, for you. They'll forgive you. They wont forgive this." He stepped forward conspiratorially and pushed up his left sleeve. Hermione gasped. There, branded right into the skin, was a black tattoo-like mark. A skull with a snake for a tongue; it made her shiver.

"He did this?"

"He does it to all his workers," Hermione looked horrified, "But not you, he's got other plans for you."

"Good!" With feeling, "Can I touch it?" He shook his head and shrugged the sleeve back down to cover it,

"It'd burn. Anyway," He seemed keen to move on and Hermione was very happy to let him. "They'll forgive you," Draco inclined his head in the general direction of the main doors.

"How can you be so sure?"

"They just will."

"Even if I can't get out?"

"Even though you can't get out. No one can. He'd destroy you first, then kill you. No one gets out and eventually everyone gets dragged in, it's only a matter of time. We can't fight it." Hermione looked at him disbelievingly.

"Maybe I don't give up that easy." Through gritted teeth. Draco shrugged.

"Maybe you don't, I'm just saying-"

"I'll find a way, you just watch." She marched away head high, with no idea what she was going to do but knowing that she would do something.


	10. Friends At Last

**Author's Note: **_Hope you like this ch. i loved writing it!! :D please take the time to review, it makes my day. even submit an annonymous one if you're not a registered user!!! love you all, thanks :) _

Hermione was still wandering the grounds when dusk fell; she had no idea how much ground she'd covered and she still didn't have any real plan apart from, Get Out. She rounded a corner and saw the front of the castle in view, she desperately didn't want to go back there, to the common room, to face the music yet again.

She veered off towards the Quiddich pitch, still avoiding the main doors. Then, just as she was drifting into another day dream, a scream snapped her out of her reverie. Hermione spun on the spot and drew her wand, hoping if anyone attacked her that her instinct would act for her. Then the scream sounded again; it was definitely a girl. She heard it was coming from behind the Quiddich pitch, right the way she'd been heading. Muggle-Hermione told her to run back the other way, Sensible-Hermione told her to get help but Reckless-Confused-Powerful-Witch-Hermione made her walks calmly, but quickly, towards the scene.

What Mione saw shocked her, but only for a moment. There certainly was a girl, but she had given up on screaming now. She was pinned against the wall, at least three wands pointed at her and a few more idly watching. The boy who had her pinned was leering at her unpleasantly, up close, intimidating her, the he roughly grabbed her head and forced her to kiss him, though she struggled hard, she was no match for him. Hermione noticed Draco around the edge, not joining in, but not stopping it either. Before she could think, she ran up to him.

"Draco!" She yelled, "Draco, stop this." Draco shook his head lazily,

"Not my place. Let them have their fun,"

"Fun!" Hermione was outraged, "Fun? Draco they're hurting her. Stop it." She cried out, tugging his arm desperately,

"Stay out of it Mione." He shook her off him.

"Draco! This is torture. You asshole!" She shoved him back, as hard as she could muster then pushed through the group of boys to the front. What Hermione saw now was horrific. The girl that was pinned to the wall, was Ginny. "Back off her!" As loud as her voice could manage. Ginny looked shocked, so did the boys. Suddenly all the wands turned on her, and the boy pinning Ginny to the wall let her fall to the floor in a crumpled heap and came very close to Hermione.

"You want some love?" He went to put his hands on her hips but before they even made contact Hermione's wand and mind had reacted as one. The boy was lifted into the air as if suddenly weightless and thrown a good twenty feet. Draco's eyes widened, he thought, _she didn't even speak, the Dark Lord was right about her_, as his friend lay in a messy heap, struggling to disentangle his limbs.

"Anyone else?" Hermione found she liked the threat, it made her feel tough, but all the wands had lowered.

"You think you can just do that? Stupid cow!" Another boy, large and brutish, came towards her, a slight swagger in his step. He was solidly built, Hermione hoped her wand could think of something strong enough.

She should never have doubted it, a slight smile crept onto her face as the boy was levitated, upside down, towards the Whomping Willow and left to dangle on the lowest branch by his foot. There was a satisfying thud and a yelp as he wriggled free.

"We're done here." Draco's voice rang loud and clear. "Let's move on boys." They started to shuffle off and Draco came right up to Hermione, under the pretext of intimidating her, and said, "Now you've done it. They were Death Eaters' sons, you'd better not go back to the Dark Lord again, he wont like it." And then walked off, leaving Hermione gawping and fearful. She couldn't think of that now though, she turned back to Ginny. The girl still hadn't moved.

"Here," Hermione offered a hand. Ginny looked as though she'd rather stay on the floor, "It's just a hand." Hermione pointed out fairly. Reluctantly the red-haired girl took it, and cast around for her wand. Mione found it first and handed it to her, finding to her relief that Ginny gave a weak smile by way of thanks. Hermione grinned for a moment, then remembered the situation. "Do you need to go to the hospital wing? How bad is it?" Ginny rubbed her arms and shrugged,

"Bruises is all." She muttered and then looked up. "I'll be fine, could you just take me to Harry please?"

"Sure," They walked together in silence, slowly- Hermione well aware of Ginny gingerly testing her weight- she certainly was shaken up. "Why were they attacking you?" Hermione ventured,

"Because they can." Ginny laughed though there was little humour about it. Hermione frowned, "You don't know how it works here." It was a statement, not intended to be patronising, just a fact. "The Slytherins get away with anything, no one can control them. I'm just someone from a 'blood traitor' family, that means my family likes Muggles, it means we didn't stick to marrying within the pure blood line and so on. Anyway, they just do it because they feel like it, because they can."

"Not any more." Hermione had meant it to be a whisper but it was too determined. Ginny looked incredulous but didn't fight it; she merely shook her head,

"You're mental." She whispered with a half laugh.

-*-

They found Harry and Ron alone in the common room, Harry passing a snitch he'd kept from hand to hand and Ron dealing out their next set of cards. Harry stood up instantly, dislodging Ron,

"Ginny what happened?" He cried in alarm, vaulting the back of the sofa and running over to her. Ginny half shrugged and Hermione saw a moment where she wasn't required she back off a suitable distance and waited patiently. Harry took Ginny's face in both hands and his thumb caressed her cheek, "Hey, look at me. What happened?"

"Slytherins." She muttered. Ron stood up and glared.

"I'm through with this, they can't pick on my little sister and get away with it. Where are they?" He growled. Harry too looked cross but her was more concerned with holding Ginny, Hermione saw the way his arms took her weight tenderly and felt a twinge of jealousy even though she knew she shouldn't.

"It doesn't matter." Ginny said by way of reply.

"Oh yes it does!" Ron raised his voice, "I'll teach them-"

"I said it doesn't matter, because Hermione's already taught them a lesson." Ginny pulled slightly away from Harry's grip and pointed at Hermione, "She saved me."

"Oh yea?" Ron looked incredulous, "Why the hell would you do that?" Hermione's anger at everything suddenly flared up,

"Oh so you'd rather I left them to it! Maybe I will next time." She added mutinously. Ron frowned,

"No." He shuffled his feet, "I didn't mean that. I just meant…" He trailed off and Hermione calmed down.

"It's ok. I know what you meant. I don't blame you for hating me, I'm working for your enemy, that's pretty terrible." She walked towards the dormitory staircase.

A little while later Ginny joined her in the dormitory.

"I don't hate you." She stated, Hermione just looked up from her book. "You're a really powerful witch and I think, just maybe, Harry was right. I was glad you found me today."

"What they were doing was wrong." Hermione disregarded her comments, "I'm glad I found you too." A look of understanding passed between them and Hermione knew she'd made a friend. "I just have to win the others back,"

"The don't hate you. It wont be hard. Do you have a plan?" Hermione felt uncomfortable and Ginny could see instantly that she didn't.

"No plan I'm afraid, just: Get Out."

"Wow." Ginny was sarcastic,

"I'm working on it." Hermione smiled a little indignantly. "So…" She was keen to change the subject, "You and Harry? Are you guys together yet or what?"

"No." Ginny's accent became more obvious as she was embarrassed.

"You should tell him, you know."

"Tell him what?" She played with the edge of her duvet.

"How you feel, it's not hard to guess."

"Oh I don't know," She sighed loudly. "Some days, like today I think he really feels it to, and others, he's so damn distant he's impossible."

"He _is _a guy." Hermione pointed out and Ginny laughed suddenly.

"Yep, and a confusing one at that." Hermione shrugged. "Anyway I could never tell him, I know he wont- he'll make up some excuse because he needs to fight Voldemort and he doesn't want me hurt; it's another way of saying he doesn't want to commit. Thing is, I'm tired of flirting. I really want him. And then," She paused, steeling herself to make the comment, "And then there's you."

"Me?" Hermione was genuinely confused.

"Oh come on!" Now it was Ginny's turn for exasperation, "The way he looks at you, the way he talks about you, I mean, he risked the statue of secrecy to bring you here. I guess, that's partly why I wanted to hate you. How could I not be jealous of Harry's mysterious summer girlfriend who appeared out of nowhere and had everyone captivated?" Hermione shook her head honestly,

"You couldn't be more wrong. Harry and I, we're nothing more than friends, that's all we ever were, all we ever will be." She assured Ginny. "And, well the thing is," She hesitated, she could be about to slip up in a monumental fashion if she said anything, but then if she didn't… "Harry erm, well he-" Ginny looked concerned, she sat forward on the bed a little, leaning in,

"What is it?" _Go for it Mione, she has to know. _

"During the summer Harry made it clear that we were just friends, not that I ever thought of him any other way. He told me that, well, he told me he liked you. As more than a friend Ginny, I really think he still does, you have to tell him before it's too late." Ginny looked shocked,

"Are you sure? Me? He definitely said me?"

"Unless you know another Ginny Weasley." Hermione teased, smiling as a look of happiness crossed Ginny's face, shortly followed by one of nervousness.

"Oh how do I tell him?" She whined, lying back on her bed with a grin, then rolling over to face Hermione. "Oooh, I'm so happy. And also scared," She added,

"Don't be."

"I've never had a boyfriend before." Hermione smiled,

"That's ok, it's natural, all the worrying is always for nothing when you finally find someone and it works. Trust me, you'll just know what to do."

"Have you had many boyfriends?" Hermione laughed

"Not many." She lay down too and looked at Ginny conspiratorially, "Just two. One was called Ty, he was lovely, his dad owned a farm- but we never kissed or anything, we were quite young. And my first kiss was with someone called Joe; he was cool too. But it was just a peck, nothing more."

"I can't believe that, the way everyone treats you here I would have thought you were used to the attention, I thought you'd get loads of guys."

"In my dreams." Hermione joked.


	11. One Step Closer

**Author's Note: **_Hope you like this ch. please keep reviewing, it brings me up so much!! :) Hermione gets one step closer...i wonder if anyone can guess where this is going... :D ly all xxx_

The next morning Ginny gave Hermione a determined nod across the dormitory and Hermione understood; she'd made up her mind, today was the day. Hermione knew the feeling. She'd made up her own mind and today was the day, for both of them. Ginny would get Harry and Hermione would get the support she needed on this.

Hermione descended to the dungeons with a determined grimace in place. She already hated potions as much as the potions teach, Professor Snape, hated her. She could do the subject fine, although it took some getting used to she seemed to have a natural talent for it, but the problem was with the endless Slytherin nagging and the insufferable teacher who seemed to loathe her for no reason whatsoever. She collected her potion that she'd started the previous lesson from the cold storage room at the back of the class and then began her work. When she was a point where her potion could be left to simmer, Hermione glanced around for Draco. She found him about to enter the store cupboard on the other side of the corridor to the classroom.

Quickly Hermione crossed the classroom and caught up with him. She shut the door behind them and lit her wand tip. Draco looked awkward- the store cupboard was not large.

"Erm, hello?" Hermione smirked at his raised eyebrows,

"Relax. Nothing like that."

"Shame." He teased. She giggled.

"I need you to tell me something,"

"Ok sure. After you tell me how the hell you did that yesterday."

"Did what?"

"Those guys who were attacking Ginny, you didn't say a word and yet there they were, lying in a mess on the floor."

"That was nothing."

"No that was something!" Draco insisted, "You're powerful. I'm a little scared for what he's got planned for you."

"Come on Draco, we know magic is more than mere words and incantations." She used Voldemort's words, liking the ring to them. Draco shook his head,

"Even so, that's not a power that should go to the wrong place. Our place; that _is _the wrong place. You need to get on Potter's side, the good side, fast, before the Dark Lord starts to use that power- you could be extremely dangerous."

"I thought it was you who said I couldn't get out now."

"I did." Draco looked at the floor. "But especially now you attacked the Death Eaters sons you need to stay out of it, it's the excuse to start stopping, I think maybe _you _can get out. And I'm not so stupid that I don't know which side is good and which is bad, it just so happens I'm stuck on the bad side and there's very little I can do about it." Hermione's feelings towards Draco as an intolerable, annoying, evil loving idiot softened a little as she searched his face.

She needed to change the subject,

"In all honesty though, I need you to tell me all you know, the whole truth about why I didn't get to Hogwarts when I was eleven." Draco sighed,

"I don't know the whole story, all I know is, Dumbledore does." Hermione opened her mouth in protest but Draco shook his head fervently, "Honestly Hermione. I don't know why he's not telling you. But the Dark Lord said that's why you needed to kill Dumbledore, because you can get close to him, and because you need to destroy the truth for yourself." Hermione looked confused, "It's one of his mind games, I don't really get them. My job is to infiltrate Potter's friends as much as possible, if I get close enough I'm supposed to kill him but it's easier said than done. I don't know much else, only that you not coming here has to do with a prophecy and Dumbledore knows." He shrugged,

"Thank you!" Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, "It doesn't make sense but it's one step closer. Thanks so much."

"I hope he doesn't find out I told you this and punish me." It was almost an after thought for Draco but Hermione was horrified.

"Me too!" with feeling.

"Good luck," He said as they exited the cupboard, "Make sure they keep you safe, the others. Tell them what I've just said if you have to, but you've got to be out of the Dark Lord's way or things are going to go very bad." Hermione nodded and they parted, going back to their own potions.

-*-

Hermione raced to find Ginny, she finally knew what she had to do, and she needed Ginny's help.

"Gin! Hey Ginny, wait up."

"Hey girl." Ginny stopped and turned round opening her arms to Hermione for a hug. Harry and Ron looked incredulous but Luna merely joined in with a vacant smile.

"Did we miss something?" Ron looked very pointedly from Hermione to Ginny and both girls just laughed.

"Honestly keep up!" Ginny joked then turned on Hermione seriously again, "What is it? You look like a girl who might be coming up with a plan."

"I am, getting there at least." She took a deep breath, "There's two things I need you to do for me." Ginny nodded, listening hard, the boys looking more confused by the second. _Yesterday they were enemies and now Ginny's taking Hermione's orders? _"Firstly, I need to go and see Dumbledore because Draco told me that-"

"You're trusting Malfoy?" Harry put in loudly. Hermione turned on him with a pleading expression,

"Yes. And you have to trust me." Harry nodded reservedly. "Now, he told me that Dumbledore knows the truth, that's why Voldemort wanted me to kill him. Something about him getting a kick out of me destroying my own truth." The others looked slightly scared but Hermione just shrugged, "I'm getting used to all this," She admitted. "Anyway, if Dumbledore doesn't tell me the truth which is, let's face it, likely. Then I need a way to get to the prophecy-"

"Am I being slow, but, what prophecy?" Ron asked, looking thoroughly confused.

"All Draco told me was that he knew my reasons for not coming here had to do with a prophecy and Dumbledore knew all about it. So I need to find a prophecy, but I don't know where." Everyone else in the group looked uneasy so Hermione pushed on, "Anyway I need a group of trusted people who can help me."

"I can do that. We can do that." Ginny grabbed the boys and dragged them to stand by her, "We'll find enough people to help you."

"Good." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, "I'll ask you the other favour later, in private. Now Harry," Harry looked at her, "Will you come with me to Dumbledore, help me?" He looked indecisive only for a second,

"Of course I will."

"We'll get started too." Ginny looked determined. "See you back at the common room."

-*-

Harry and Hermione raced along the corridors and up the stairs together.

"You're a mystery," Harry was saying, "Seriously, we don't know how you got here, why you didn't get here earlier and we don't know who's telling the truth. For all you know this could be one fat Voldemort trap that Malfoy is in on." He pointed out fairly. Hermione knew it was true,

"Don't think I haven't considered it. I still am I just- we can trust Dumbledore, I need this truth." Harry couldn't argue.

"I'm scared for you Mione." Harry admitted, as they slowed to a walk in the silence of Dumbledore's corridor. She stopped to look at him. The whole air around them seemed to be moving and Hermione understood in that moment what Harry had risked to bring her here.

"Don't be." She reached out and took his hand.

"Seriously," He squeezed her hand but refused to take her reassurance. "You're powerful."

"So are you!" She protested, utterly frustrated with this wizard world, "Why does _everyone _say it like it's a bad thing."

"Well it is." Then he paused and corrected himself, "Well it wouldn't be but…"

"But what?"

"Well you're unstable. You don't know who to trust or who to work for, you're easy to manipulate, and if you go bad- we're all screwed. I mean, the way you took control back them, you're ordering up an army already and we barely know you, we're following you. Everyone seems to." Hermione was angry,

"Well it's not my fault that everyone does, but seeing as they do I may as well-"

"I didn't say it was. I just was saying it's a little scary that's all. The things you can do, they scare me a little." Hermione nodded glumly and by silent consent they continued walking.

The stairs carried them, spiralling, to Dumbledore's office door. Hermione made to knock but Harry grabbed her arm.

"Sorry we argued." She nodded, "You know, apart from Ron, you're the first person I've really felt a closeness to." Hermione smiled,

"Don't forget Ginny," She whispered. Harry blushed and they both laughed,

"Yeah well," He wrapped her in a hug. "That's for whole different reasons." Finally they looked at each other and Hermione knocked, "You ready?" Harry asked,

"Very." Mione's jaw was set in a determined line. There was no way she was going to give in without a fight- she had a right to the truth about her life.

"Sir."

"Ah Miss Granger and Mr Potter, tell me what can I do for you both while you should be in lessons?" Hermione worried for a second but saw that Dumbldore's smile was as gentle as always.

"We need to know,"

"The truth." Harry finished quickly for Hermione.

"Draco says you'll know, and I, I trust that he's telling the truth. He said that Voldemort- Tom Riddle- said that you know the truth." Dumbledore's gaze was piercing,

"And you believe the word of a Dark Wizard relaying information to a teenage lackey?" Hermione faltered,

"Yes." She wanted to explain why but was lost for words. "I just- I do."

"Indeed."

"So what is up with my life?" She felt good to finally get the point out. "My letter was dated the same date as Harry and Ron's, so why didn't I receive it? I should have been here, learning. And I want to know why I wasn't."

"I'm afraid Miss Granger there is nothing I can do to help you."


	12. The Army

**Author's Note: **_Here you go my lovelies...the much anticipated end is beginning. But it's a way off yet, hope you don't mind it being quite a long story :) please **review** Thanks :) !! xox_

Hermione paced her dormitory furiously, Ginny watching, concerned.

"He was ridiculous. Infuriating. _And _he kept changing his story."

"Doesn't sound like Dumbledore." Ginny pointed out. Hermione had stormed off to the dormitory as soon as they had returned from the Headmaster's office and Ginny had come to comfort her however she could, leaving the boys downstairs.

"Well he's doing it." Hermione assured her, "And he obviously has something to hide. So now I've got no choice, I'm going behind his back and finding out for myself." She sounded so determined Ginny didn't want to argue, so she changed the subject instead.

"You said earlier you had another favour to ask?"

"Oh yeah, it's, erm, you know how I seem to dream walk, and in my dreams head straight to Voldemort?" Ginny nodded, "Well, I was thinking that you could possibly sit up all night with me so I didn't sleep and walk to him." She rushed on, she was scared. "Ginny I can't control my dreams and I really can't go back to the Dark Lord now, he'll kill me, I don't know what else to do." She begged,

"Well we can't not sleep at all." Ginny said fairly, "How long could we keep that up for anyway? We'll sleep in shifts, in the common room, you and me can stay awake while the boys sleep, then we'll swap, they can watch you while we sleep."

"Ooer." Hermione teased, "Not sure I want them watching me while a sleep." Ginny laughed and stuck her tongue out,

"Yeah well, you would think like that Mione. Honestly." Hermione became semi-serious again,

"Do you always just have such great ideas on the spot?"

"No, course not. I just have occasional moments of brilliance." The two girls laughed again. "C'mon. Let's go and tell the boys our plan."

-*-

Hermione woke up and rubbed the back of her sore neck; the sofa wasn't overly comfortable. She looked around and saw Harry sat up and Ron snoring rather loudly.

"Some body guard." She laughed quietly. Harry noticed Mione was awake and shrugged,

"Hello, you're not meant to be awake. Well yeah," He nodded down to Ron, "He means well. I'm still awake so you've got one of us."

"I couldn't sleep, too much to think on." She admitted.

"You're telling me." Harry raised his eyebrows, "So what are you thinking about?"

"What do you know about Prophecies?"

"A fair bit." Hermione leaned forward keenly,

"Really?"

"Well yea, we went looking for one once, it got us in some major trouble. But it was worth it to know." He seemed to already know what she was getting at.

"I think I need to find mine." She told him, "Where do they keep Prophecies? Are they written down or…?"

"No, they're stored in glass orbs. The words are kept. You can literally hear the Seer speaking from the ball. And only the one to whom it is related can actually pick it up. Any prophecy that I know of," Harry sighed, he knew he might live to regret telling her this, if, in fact, they made it out alive. "Is in the Hall Of Prophecies."

"Makes sense." Hermione smiled, "And where's that when it's at home?"

"Ministry of Magic. You remember I told you? It's in the department of mysteries." Harry's mouth twitched at the sides, "So it should be right up your street."

"Sadly, you're not wrong." She laughed. She looked like she was thinking hard.

"Uh-oh. That look is trouble," Harry chuckled fondly as Hermione blushed, "That look means a plan is coming."

"How did you know?"

"I know you too well already." He looked sheepish, "And it's the sort of look I wear when I'm about to do something reckless." He admitted.

"Reckless is as maybe. But going to Dumbledore was a last ditch effort before I resort to some serious methods."

"I'm listening."

"You know that so-called 'army' I got Ginny to start working on? Well I think it's time I turned them into a real army. We're all going to meet tomorrow and then we're going to the Ministry, we're going into the department of mysteries and we're bringing back my prophecy." Harry swallowed hard,

"We're all behind you, but persuading some people to go back in there maybe easier said than done. But I'd say, if you've won over Ginny, that's half the battle. Just don't get us killed." He warned. But Hermione couldn't think of the negative, all she could see was a way forward, a new hope, and she'd take whatever chance she could right now. She knew she'd never sleep again that night.

-*-

"So where's this room you're saying about?" Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Ron were walking together down a third floor corridor, it looked pretty empty to her.

"It's the Room Of Requirements." Harry told her,

"Or 'the come and go room'." Ginny added. Ron took up the explanation,

"It's another one of Hogwarts' not so well kept secrets. It moves place in the castle and-"

"Wait…a room moves?" Hermione was stunned for a second.

"Yeah." Harry shrugged, "Can you believe it or is that gonna take a few minutes to sink in?"

"At this stage, it's already sunk, trust me." They all laughed.

"Anyway, it appears when you are most in need of it, and are thinking of exactly what you need. And it's always equipped exactly as you need it."

"Nice." She showed her approval. "So today it will be…?"

"Probably a large but comfortable room, bit like the common room but with an obvious centre or spot where you can talk from." Ginny told her. Hermione swallowed something that felt like a large boulder- public speaking had never been, nor ever would be, her strong point.

Sure enough they reached a tiny green door with a handle and the other three stood back.

"This is it?" Mione was doubtful. "Looks like a cupboard to me."

"I know it doesn't look like much now but inside…well you'll see."

"What are you all waiting for?" Hermione felt distinctly awkward, stood closest to the door handle. Then Ron whispered something very profound,

"Um Mione, I think this is _your _door." He gave her a gentle nudge and she saw what they were getting at; her mission, she needed to open the door. So she did.

She hadn't quite expected as many people. There was a large group from Griffindor, some she knew, some she didn't, and an equally large group from Hufflepuff- none of which she knew. There was a slightly smaller group from Ravenclaw. Hermione thought she should be pleased to see Cho, she had been nice to her after all, but somehow seeing her there, looking so cool and expectant, just made Mione want to throw up she was so nervous. She edged her way to the front of the assembly where, as Ginny had predicted was a slightly raised area in front of the back drop of a fire place. Hermione twisted her hands together, feeling the swear beginning to run.

"Erm…Hi." She squeaked, her voice sounding alien. "Thank you for coming. I, erm, don't suppose, well, you really know why you're here?" She got no response apart from a quiet cough. "Right." She muttered hoarsely, "Obviously not." Hermione swallowed and steeled herself for the speech, "So here's the thing…"


	13. Too Close

**Author's Note: **_Hope you like it, the action is on its way!!! Please **review! **I know a lot of you obviously don't have them time and that's cool, i don't review everything i read. But if once in the story u could drop a line to say if u think it's any good (or not) then that'd be great! Thankyou to those who review nearly every chapter, i always look forward to them making me smile :) _

"So I know it's a lot to ask." Hermione's voice had grown in strength. When she saw the expectant faces at first she had been terrified, but now she saw people looking up to her, people expecting something of her in a way she hadn't experienced before. Not the pressuring-straight-A-expecting-parent type way, but in a way that made her stronger, she felt tall. "But I'm sure a lot of you are almost as curious as I am about this whole thing," She looked at Harry for confidence, he nodded, he was her strength. "So in order to get that prophecy I need to ask a huge favour…" Now her eyes sought Ron's; for no reason at all but they were drawn there. "I need to ask who would be willing to break me out of school, sneak me to London, break into the Ministry of Magic and steal my prophecy with me from the hall of prophecies?" Something in her head told Mione that maybe she shouldn't have been so blunt. There was a silence, deep and long. Then there were general mutterings of protest. Ginny saw things about to go wrong,

"Hermione saved my life!" She stood up in front of Mione, "This girl is more powerful than anyone knew, and now she's in danger from the Dark Lord. Answer me something," There was a whole room breath-holding moment, "When have you said no to anything Harry asked you?" Hermione saw trouble coming down, the last thing Ginny needed to create was a divide, or worse, an argument between her and Harry. "We knew his plans meant trouble, they were crazy, some of them, but we've gone right through with it. So just think about what Hermione's asking you, and ask yourselves, how brave are we?" But she'd done it. Enough to have most people in the room smiling and nodding.

"Ok…" She saw it was safe to take over, and was about to formulate a plan when Cho stood up.

"This girl is amazing." She said simply. "If you're going to help her you have to be worth it, 'cause it might take everything we have and more. Hands up. Who's ready to be in?" Ginny looked mutinous for a second as her and Cho met eyes. Cho offered a half smile and Ginny shrugged. Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. _No way, Ginny and Cho getting along? _

-*-

After the meeting Hermione was still feeling overwhelmed by support. Her and Ginny were the last to leave the room of requirement. Hermione sighed peacefully.

"Now all we have to do is to sort the details." She grinned insanely. Ginny snorted,

"_All_?" She laughed. Hermione suddenly cut across Ginny's path and began walking backwards so she could look her sternly in the eye,

"You still haven't told Harry have you?" Ginny looked sheepish, "For God's sake Ginnerva Weasley, how long can you bear to leave it?"

"It's so complicated." Ginny muttered.

"Then make it simple." Ginny raised her eyebrows, "Oh come on, you can sum up your feelings for him in, like, three words." Ginny blushed.

"No." She muttered moodily, "It's complicated."

"Fine, suit yourself." Hermione smirked to herself, knowing that her point had gone through even if Ginny didn't know it yet. "I have to go see somebody," She remembered suddenly, moving away from Ginny at quite a pace. She was nearly at the end of the corridor before Ginny had time to react,

"Oh, ok!" She called after her rather helplessly.

Hermione searched for Draco all over the ground floor. He was nowhere. She knew better than to try the library but maybe she ought to search out the Slytherin common room? She took her best guess; down towards the Dungeons. Sure enough, where the stairs split and on direction lead to Potions the other seemed to lead to an even lower looking corridor. It had an eerie green glow where it seemed to be directly below the lake and the temperature here was a deal colder than the rest of the school. There was a bench next to their portrait, currently sleeping, which was of an old fussy looking wizard with heavy eyebrows and a crooked nose, Hermione sat here and waited. Draco was bound to show up sooner or later. After half an hour of waiting Draco appeared, walking towards the common room slowly, hands pushed deep in his pockets with a frown on his face.

"Was just wondering how you managed." He commented as he sat down by her. "The Dark Lord was furious when you didn't show last night. He tried to pull you there with your dreams again."

"I wouldn't know," She shrugged, "I barely slept, and the others took shifts in staying awake with me."

"Wow, good friends." He muttered.

"Yes they are." She noticed him rub his arm slightly "Did He hurt you?" Draco shrugged,

"Not much."

"Let me see,"

"No, it's fine."

"Draco…"

"Don't make a case out of it." He insisted. But Hermione was too quick for him, she dragged up his sleeve and saw a nasty look wound. Deep and long, going septic where Draco hadn't had it treated.

"May I?" Draco shrugged,

"I can't fix it, it's cursed. But if anyone can, you can." Hermione stared at the wound for a long time, thinking it through in her head, and gradually, it began to heal. She clicked her tongue irritably as she finished,

"Damn it, it scarred." She was annoyed.

"Yeah but, that was cursed and you just fixed it. Thanks." He sounded truly grateful.

"That must have been a strong curse, it's the first time I've ever felt resistance against my magic, it took a lot of concentration." She admitted.

"Well," Draco half smiled, "It was cast by the most powerful Dark Wizard alive today, I'm not surprised. And you didn't even get out your wand, that was pure mind power." Hermione shrugged and blushed,

"Nothing to it really. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I got their support, they're going to help me get my prophecy."

"No Dumbledore?"

"He didn't help. That's one thing the Dark Lord said that I know is true now: I can't trust Dumbledore." Draco nodded.

"Well I'm glad you're getting out. I'm going to go in now, you can't come, sorry but I'd get eaten alive."

"Sure, see you." She smiled as she stood up.

"Good luck tonight!" He called after her. Hermione had to think for a moment what he meant, then she realised he meant keeping away from Voldemort.

-*-

"So how exactly are we going to travel there?" Hermione whispered through the darkness, she knew Harry was awake somewhere, less than ten feet away, across the common room.

"I'll tell you in the m-m-morning." He yawned audibly and she heard a shuffling as he settled himself.

"No!" She broke out of a whisper accidentally and hurriedly covered her mouth. She paused to check she hadn't woken Ron or Ginny. "Tell me now," Whispering again, "Let's stay away, don't go to sleep."

"I'm not." His voice was faint. Hermione let silence settle about them for a while.

"Harry?" She whispered again, "Harry?" But the sound of even breathing all around her told her that he too had drifted. _Just me by myself then, _she thought, and pulled the blanket further up her body.

Hermione's bear feet struck the cold of the main staircase painfully, they echoed a little, but not as much as shoes would have done- anyway it would have taken too long to go up and get them. She had the sense that someone was following her and she didn't like it, the sooner she got out of the school and found Draco and the Dark Lord, the sooner she could feel safe.

"Hermione!"

She heard her name hissed, probably a good way away but it carried down the staircase easily. She sped up. Across the freezing stone tiled entrance hall. She heaved on the doors, begging them to open easily even though they were heavy. Eventually she opened on of them just enough for her to slip her slender body through- everything was slowing her down tonight, as if it was trying to stop her from going. The grass was damp,

"_Damn it." She cursed to herself for not having wasted the extra time and gone up and got her shoes. She slipped through the wet, disgusting feeling grass as fast as she could, nearly falling on the downhill slope. She used the Green Houses and Hagrid's hut as markers; she needed to be exactly between the two, at the tree line of the Dark Forest._

"_Stop." A voice cut through her and she felt someone's arm block her way forcefully, nearly winding her. _

"Hey!" She was outraged. "Hey, where am I? I'm meant to be- oh god- oh god no! Oh no!" She tried to turn back, hot angry tears blinding her vision, she didn't know which was to turn, where to look, what to do- she'd slipped into a dream and almost…it was unthinkable.

"Relax, someone's following you, they noticed you were gone." Hermione took a deep breath and recognised it as Draco's voice, he was stood in the shadows so she couldn't see his face but she could clearly feel his hand firmly gripping her arm. "I wouldn't have let you get down there to him, it's not safe for either of us." He added the last as a self-assurance that he hadn't been helping her out of pure kindness alone.

"Hermione!" Ron caught up with her, "Thanks." He added, somewhat grudgingly to Draco, Hermione nodded to join in with the thanks, she could barely speak, and Draco slipped away into the night; no doubt, to see the Dark Lord. "God I'm sorry, we all fell asleep and we said we'd watch you. I feel awful." He did look wretched. But Hermione just gave something between a nod and a shrug. "You're out here in your night clothes," He pointed out rather unnecessarily, "You must be freezing, here." He took off the jacket he had hurriedly thrown on and helped her put her arms in it, he did it up himself to save her fumbling with the buttons, she was visibly shaking.

"That was too close." She whispered, "Good thing by tomorrow evening we'll be well on our way to curing this."

They stood for a moment, Ron waiting for the 'right time' to take her back up to the common room. He was unsure why there needed to be a right time, or even what the right time was. Spontaneously, Hermione wrapped her arms round his neck and buried her face in his warm shoulder. His shirt smelled of Hogwarts, and Ron's aftershave and some other smell she couldn't define, maybe 'sleep'? She clung to it. Ron was happy to let her, smiling to himself at how bulky she felt in his jacket compared with usually slim Hermione, he rocked her gently until the scare was over. The shaking from shock ceased and the cold fully set in. Now was the 'right time' and he lead her up towards the tower.


	14. Getting Out

**Author's Note: **_So just to confirm there are NO END COUPLES in this story, it continues to a sequal. and yes it was originally gna be a ron/mione ending, but so many people have complained that i have decided to change. i wont tell u the end couples, but please keep reading!! it wont end ron/mione!! promise!!! Hope you like it..._ **_review!!_**

Gathered around her in the Room of Requirement were the trusted few who had opted to help her on her mission. Hermione ran through the plan once more in her head.

_**Harry and Ron would use the invisibility cloak to get into the grounds and search out any Voldemort-like presence; they didn't need any complications. They would then search out a weak point in the defences around the school and then they'd begin work to break a hole, which would be open for them to get through for a short period. Fred and George had agreed to cause a whole school distraction up in the astronomy tower, as far away as possible, while Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Dean, Luna, Cho, Parvati, Padma, Lavender and Seamus made their way down to the entrance hall. Once outside Hermione would perform disillusionment charms on them all (she was the only one who could) They'd make their way through the grounds to where Harry and Ron were. Neville and Lavender would then stay there to guard it and make sure no one followed them through. The rest would use broomsticks to land near the Ministry of Magic and then came the tricky part. It would be closed as it would be late evening by then so the visitors entrance wouldn't work. They weren't sure that apparition would actually work getting them into the Ministry due to all the security, but since they had no other plans that was their best bet. Then-**_

Hermione was interrupted from her thoughts.

"How soon do we start?" She collected herself for a moment,

"Harry and Ron are in place already, I just hope they can break those enchantments." Everybody tensed; here was the first place their plan could fail. The whole thing was riddled with 'ifs' and things that didn't add up, but they would never have formed anything better if they planned for the next twenty years, so Harry had bitten the bullet and told them they should just go for it. "Fred and George, you should go now."

"Gott-cha missus!"

"Eye-eye Cap'ain!" They saluted simultaneously and grinned. "We've got everything."

"Should work a treat." They pointed excitedly at some large, smoking, boxes they had by their feet. They heaved them up onto their shoulders and left the room to joking applause. "Best of luck." Fred said earnestly and there was a moment of brief silence before they left.

"So, um…what now?" Parvati asked. Hermione glanced around at the group, some pacing some panicking silently. Either way, sitting around waiting was making everyone a little more than tense.

"Let's all make our way up to the Griffindor common room," She decided. "At least that way…at least, then, well…at least it's something to do." She couldn't think of a better explanation for any of them, she didn't have the brain power left. They looked relieved, as they were able to move again, away from the stuffy confines of the Room of Requirement and out into the airy feeling corridor. The Room of Requirement never seemed to have any windows. Hermione slipped away from the ambling group and moved quickly through the corridors she seemed to know by heart already. She found Draco in a deserted corridor, looking like he was heading in the direction of the Slytherin common room.

"Draco!" She dashed up to him and he offered a smile. "Thank you for last night, I never really got a chance to say, but thank you so much."

"Any time." He said, "It'd be such a waste to get you killed." Hermione couldn't agree more.

"But now there's something more important," Draco's eyes snapped up and caught Hermione's excited eyes. "I'm getting out, Draco, I'm getting out. I'm practically out already. I'm about to discover everything; the truth." Draco nodded, not seeing how she was including him in this. "Draco don't you see? You've got to come with me." There followed the deepest silence Hermione had ever experienced, in the air and in her heart. "Draco? You've got to get out!" She insisted, "We'll protect you. Come with us, get out with me, tonight."

"Hermione…I…you see, I don't…It's not so simple that- my father- and…"

"Draco is it really that hard a decision? To stay on the wrong side, the side that will lose, the side that you're already fighting against even if you haven't realised it yet. Or…come, you know, come with me."

"Nothing is simple Mione." Draco turned away, his eyes suddenly hardened to everything.

"Draco…I don't understand."

"You wouldn't." He called back.

"Fine." Hermione bit back her tears and let anger take over instead. "We're through, this friendship is over. You've made a wrong decision Draco Malfoy, you'll regret it." She pushed past him and headed upstairs towards the tower. _Don't think about him Mione, you need to focus on other things now, like the plan. _

-*-

Hermione was just at the end of the corridor going towards the portrait hole when she heard the screaming. She sped up her pace excitedly and sure enough she found people of all ages pouring from the common room. The castle suddenly erupted with life, the thundering of hundreds of feet all moving at once and the echo of excited cheers and shouts. Hermione practically ran to the common room, she waited to one side of the door, knocked back by the sheer weight of people as everyone piled towards the staircase, heading upwards. Within a few minutes they were gone and Hermione heaved the portrait hole open (the Fat Lady had left her painting to see what was going on). The others saw her and all drew their wands with a fleeting look of excitement bouncing between them, then they hurriedly, silently, filed from the room and began to run down the stairs. It was the fastest Hermione had ever moved through the castle outside of her dreams as they crossed the entrance hall in the palling afternoon light. Seamus brought up the rear with his wand always covering behind them, but they saw no one. Just as they were veering down the hill at a shocking pace Seamus caught up to Hermione and said,

"A ghost just saw us outside the window. I don't know if he'll tell." Hermione stopped and looked back, too late to change things now.

"Let's get out fast then." She decided, taking even bigger paces over the dangerously uneven ground. She had never been as nervous to enter the forest as she was tonight; as much as she'd love to see a centaur or unicorn, Hermione would be equally terrified to see a werewolf or something worse, especially Voldemort. But she was sure Harry would have warned them if he was here tonight. In truth it was worrying that the Dark Lord wasn't here, why wasn't he? Why had he left her alone tonight, when every other night he'd been attempting to drag her back into his clutches? The group began to slow automatically and Hermione took the lead in the dark forest, knowing they were close. When she could stand the apprehension no longer she called out,

"Harry? Ron? Are you there?"

"Right here." Harry made her jump, they were closer than she had expected. Harry fumbled for her hand and gave it a squeeze, "It's quite tricky, go careful." He whispered, helping her over some deep tree roots and then passing her hand to Ron's.

"Just through there, can you see?" Mione strained her eyes in the darkness. She could just about make out a shimmering mirage hanging ominously in the air.

"I see the boundary, it looks tough."

"How can you tell?" Ron whispered, momentarily distracted,

"I can sense strong magic, it's a thing I do." She moved on quickly, feeling a pile up beginning behind her. "Anyway did you break it?"

"Damn straight. Look a little to your left, you see it?" She searched some more. Hermione found a spot where the mirage seemed to have a rough tear in it.

"Oh yeah, I've got it."

"We'll follow your lead." Ron encouraged. Hermione gulped loudly as she crept gingerly forwards, careful not to touch the edges of the fragile looking gap; but she passed through with out a hitch and let out a huge sigh of relief. It was short lived however, as this was just the first step in a large and flawed plan. After they were all through Harry began to usher them over towards where he had stashed the brooms. Hermione lingered back just a moment and peered through the gash in the magic,

"Thanks you two." She whispered back to Neville and Lavender who were crouched, alert, the other side of the hole.

"Good luck." Lavender whispered. Neville looked concerned suddenly,

"What if the gap heals up?" Hermione nodded, she wouldn't put it past the magic of Hogwarts to have something in place for this.

"I don't know." She admitted helplessly, "Try not to let it." She left the space quickly and walked over to the others. "Everything ok Gin?" She asked the younger girl, who was stood to one side looking very odd indeed.

"No." She whispered. Suddenly gazing intently at Harry who was helping Luna onto the back of Dean's broom. "How could I be so stupid? How haven't I told you yet?" Hermione knew right away that Ginny was no longer addressing her. Harry turned round, blushing, as if he'd felt her gaze, or maybe heard the intensity of her voice and knew it was meant for him, either way every eye now fell on him.

"Ginny?" His voice was croaky and he appeared rooted to the spot, his gaze unwavering from his best friend's sister's face.

"Harry there's something I- and I'm only telling you now when we might not make it back. I could have given us so much time and- I've been so wrong. So wrong about everything." There followed a moment deeper than the night they stood in, so full of held breath it could barely contain the tension. "Harry I think I…I love you." Then came an avalanche of emotion. Both made forward at the same time, Ginny broke into a run and threw herself into Harry's open arms and her lips came crashing onto his un-expecting ones, nearly sending him flying. He took a moment to respond before he kissed her back enthusiastically and spun her in a circle. Hermione felt her heart clench with…? Jealousy? _Jealousy for the relationship I suppose, after all, who could I ever feel like that about? _But she pushed it aside and allowed herself to feel happiness for them, whatever happened next.

"I love you too." Harry laughed into Ginny's red hair, "Oh Ginny, I love you too."


	15. The Great Escape

**Author's Note: **_Soooo close to the end, i'm thinking like two more chapters...hold on tight :p anyway i hope you like it, remember it doesn't end at the end of this 'book' you need to wait for the second to see the final outcome. **Please REVIEW! **It makes my day. What else? sorry i havent updated in a while, i love you all to death etc....i really hope you like it! x_

Hermione gripped to Ron's waist like she'd never gripped to anything before, astounded, terrified, and disbelieving as they left the ground. She was flying. They stayed low to the ground, giving Hermione some time to catch her wits and her breath, as they skirted around Hogwarts and then away. The further from the fairy-tale-like castle they flew the higher they rose.

"Good job for the cloud." Seamus observed and Hermione had to think why for a moment. Then she realised they'd have to drop their brooms into the centre of London. Although the disillusionment charm had worked to get them out of the castle, even Hermione had been unable to conjure one large enough to cover two people and a broom- it was frustrating, although slightly reassuring, that she had found something in this world which she couldn't do. They were flying fast, in the cloud. It was cold and very damp, but not un-likeable, there was definite rush that happened through flying, a tingling sensation, Hermione couldn't pin it, but she knew she'd never experienced it anywhere else.

"Are you feeling ok Mione?" Harry called back thoughtfully. She gave a slight smile, even though he couldn't see it, he would know she was smiling.

"Surprisingly yeah…but that might change as soon as we hit the ground." Harry laughed.

"Might be sooner than you think," Ron added, "We're going faster than you'd imagine, look down next time there's a gap in the cloud."

"Look down? Ha!" That was the last thing she felt like doing, but she wasn't too bad with heights. When she saw a space between the heavy haze she looked down and saw densely packed lights, some moving others stationary, all criss-crossing amongst one another- she knew it had to be a city. Though aerial photos she had seen on the computer would never quite compare to this. "London?" She called to Ron and felt him nod in response.

All to soon Hermione felt the rush of wind blow her hair upwards and billow through her clothes as they descended. When they touched down Hermione's feet hit the ground hard, she promptly crumpled and slid from the broom, to a chorus of a few sympathetic sniggers. Ron helped her up and she dusted the London grime from her jeans.

"Right, where are we?" Harry had finished piling the brooms behind a skip, he rose and came towards her, pointing behind her. She spun round to see an old, vandalised, telephone box.

"Visitors entrance to the Ministry of Magic." He informed her. Hermione inspected it carefully, circling the whole thing, it looked just like a regular phone box, albeit a broken one, but it had that same sense of strong magic around it that the Hogwarts boundary did. "But it's out of hours so-"

"It's closed, I know." She finished for him. She opened the door to it anyway and peered inside suspiciously. "What did you have to do to apparate again?" She asked, in an almost offhand manner. Parvati quickly began to recite,

"It's erm, destination, divination…no determination…and, oh what was it Cho?" Cho looked thoughtful and then shrugged. "Sorry Hermione, I can't really do it to be honest it's very hard…" Hermione wasn't really listening, she stepped inside the phone box and focused very hard _come on Mione, ministry of magic, now please. _There was a crack. Everyone in the group was very silent. Hermione had totally disappeared.

-*-

Hermione gulped in air as she felt her body released from its very tight, dark prison and into the atrium of the ministry. Although Harry had told her what to expect (a huge cavern like hall, marble, filled with fire places and a large statue) it was still a shock, and still sensationally creepy when all the gaps, spaces, and dips in the walls were filled with thick shadow. She waited very still for a good minute, expecting an anti-intruder curse to go off, or at least a guardsman to stop her- but nothing. Quickly Hermione tested she was really there, she walked in a large circle, staring up at the ceiling in awe- how far under ground was she? - and when she was sure she could move she braced herself for the uncomfortable feeling of apparation once more.

-*-

"Hey guys!" She stepped out of the phone booth with a certain smugness.

"Jesus!"

"Bloody hell!"

"How the-?"

"Hermione you're unbelievable." Harry told her,

"Seriously," Ginny continued, "You've known you're a witch for a matter of weeks and you can already apparate, that's crazy." Hermione blushed, very pleased, but merely shrugged.

"Come on, back to business, we need to all apparate in."

"Ok we can't." Ron pointed out unhelpfully,

"Well…I was hoping you guys would have the answers for that?" Hermione asked, somewhat exasperated.

"Side along." Cho said instantly, and Seamus hurriedly explained,

"It's where you hold one of us by the arm and we go in, two at a time." Hermione clicked her tongue in annoyance,

"Not fast enough." She thought hard. "Look I can probably do it, just all hold onto each other in a line, I'll pull you all through at once."

"It can't be done!" Ginny protested.

"Watch me." Said Hermione through a clenched jaw. "Seriously, my brain wouldn't think it if I couldn't… I don't know why, I just know I can. Do it!" She found it easy to give orders all of a sudden and they sprung into action. Harry gripped one side, Ginny the other, and they made an arrow head shape around her. She shifted awkwardly so she was touching the phone box with her left foot.

There was an uncomfortable pull this time, she felt Harry's sweaty palm loosening on her own. _No I can't lose them! _She wanted to yell "don't let go" but she had no breath, and everything was resisting her, dragging her back and down, and as she pushed forwards there was a very solid barrier. With one last effort of will power she felt the release of air pressure and heard a loud clatter as ten pairs of feet hit the ground. She gave them about thirty seconds rest bite to join her on their feet and regain composure, before she turned to a dishevelled looking Harry with an expectant face.

"Department of Mysteries?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied, rather shakily. With a little staggering at first they crossed the atrium in a tight pack, Hermione wondering about the lack of security. Was the wizard world always so lax? They clunked on the tiled floor until they reached a lift with an iron grill across the front, Hermione cringing as it made a loud, unpleasant scraping noise to open. Ron filled her in with a friendly warning,

"Wizard lifts; they go up, down, backwards, forwards, and sideways." Hermione stifled a laugh,

"Why am I not surprised?" They piled into the lift and Parvati looked around furtively as she heavy the heavy grill shut. Harry pushed the button he'd never wanted to push again, round, cold, engraved with the ominous number 9. Hermione felt her heartbeat increase speed by at least double. They shot backwards and Hermione gripped onto Dean with the shock, then they jolted down, all the while she thought _what am I doing? What have I done? _

-*-

"Well we're here." Padma pointed out unnecessarily as the grill opened this time of its own accord. Hermione and Harry stepped forward in step with one another, each caught in their own thoughts. He raised his hand a little and gestured to a little black door with a large silver doorknob.

"That's where you went when…last time?"

"Yeah," His voice was choked with emotion. "I dreamt about that door for months." Hermione nodded understandingly, wondering for a second why she hadn't dreamt of this place herself. The rest of the group moved forwards with them, haltingly, every step a challenge. Hermione thought that every breath was a challenge, she couldn't bare the absolute stillness here. She wanted something to happen.

"It's a different doorknob." Harry said, his voice suddenly very loud and echo-y making Hermione jump.

"What?" She asked, somewhat frustrated by his attention to detail.

"Look at it." He turned to Ron and Ginny who pressed forward. The silver shape was very clearly a 3D heart with sharp looking edges.

"Well, might sound odd but, this works with the whole 'its _your _door' theory." Ron looked right at Hermione, who was hating the concepts behind this crazy wizard world more every minute. She reached forward, feigning no-fear, and turned it, resisting the urge to let go as the rough edges grazed and burnt the soft skin of her palms. She pushed it open and they all pushed forward into a tall, thin, cylindrical room that was entirely compiled of mirrors. A room which would usually by definition be light but was in fact an even deeper dark for the amount of mirrors. Hermione kept hold of the door handle by instinct, and for some sense of reality. A voice in the room whispered,

"This has changed."

"Erm, department of mysteries." Ron pointed out, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Let's just…" Hermione began hesitantly. "Just can someone press on each mirror, I want to see if any are doors." There was a bustle of movement and then the general shaking of heads.

"Nothing." Cho whispered. Hermione tried to collect her thoughts,

"Ok, so…" Against her better intentions she let go of the door and threw a little prayer into the dark space. The walls began to spin, a rush of air, and Mione had to close her eyes to stop the overwhelming dizziness. Slightly to her left she heard the definite sound of someone being sick, obviously someone who didn't close their eyes. Suppressing horrible images of sick bouncing off the spinning walls and being thrown back all over them Hermione concentrated on listening for the stop. Eventually the air slowed and stopped and she could look up again.

Hermione slammed her fist into a wall suddenly.

"It's gone." She told them, as they all spun round, looking for the door.

"Wait!" Ginny grabbed Mione's arm and pointed upwards. Mione followed her gaze. Sure enough, there was a hole in the ceiling. Hermione sighed, _why? _

"Give me a boost." She asked. Ron quickly made a step-up pad with his hands and Hermione placed one hand on his shoulder and reached the other up. She pushed her leg straight and grabbed desperately for the edge of the hole. It was sharp- like the edge of a mirror, she thought with resentment- but she gripped it nonetheless, feeling blood start to flow, biting back the tears and she attempted to drag her whole body weight up on just her hands on glass. Eventually she was there heaving herself over the edge and lying still, panting, for a few seconds. Then she had the breath to whisper,

"Ok, come up." Cho came next, a little taller than Hermione, she had less of a problem getting up, then they both leaned over to help Ginny and Luna, who were much smaller. Ginny narrowly avoided breaking Harry's nose while scrabbling her feet on his shoulders to get up. Parvati and Padma, then Harry, then Seamus, then Dean- just leaving Ron, who was tallest. Hermione and Harry leaned right over the edge and swung their hands down, he took a nervous running jump and Hermione's fingers closed tightly around his wrist as he fumbled for hers. She was suddenly dragged towards the edge a few inches by the weight of Ron on the end of her arm,

"Help!" She yelled in panic, not fancying falling the whole way back down again. Luna grabbed her legs,

"I've got you, don't worry." She called quietly, the frail form of Luna behind her was hardly reassuring but Hermione yanked on Ron's arm nonetheless, reaching down his flailing body to grab at his belt. Harry saw what she was doing and mimicked, dragging Ron up by his belt, with yelps of pain as his stomach scraped along the glass edge. Eventually they all lay in a heaving painful pile, Hermione looked around.

"It's so beautiful." She whispered, knowing instantly that they were in the hall of prophecies.

-*-

The group disentangled themselves and stood up one by one, each looking around in awe. The hall was endless, or looked it, row upon row, of glowing blue and white orbs which lit the entire room yet somehow didn't lighten the darkness at all. All their skin glowed white but no dark corner was any better illuminated, Hermione shivered.

"It's this way." She said, darting down an isle to their left. The group, still dumbstruck, took a while to respond but Hermione just heard Harry reassuring Parvati in a hushed voice,

"It's ok, when you're finding your prophecy, you just sort of _know _where to go. She knows exactly where she's going." Hermione silently thanked whatever God existed that she had a friend like Harry. She kept running down the isles, going more left at every opportunity, till she felt Harry catch up with her.

"Ron's at the back." He kept his voice very low, "He thinks he heard someone following us." Hermione gulped,

"I know what you're thinking but-"

"No you don't." Harry whispered quietly, "_I _know what you're thinking, and I also know it's too late to turn back now."

"Good." With feeling.

"You know there aren't so many prophecies down here." Harry pointed out and Hermione slowed just a fraction to glance around. True, the prophecies were less tightly packed her.

"It's ok." She whispered. "I see it." The others caught up at last and joined them to gaze; awestruck. There was a large cabinet against a wall here, behind the thick-looking glass were three or four prophecies, larger than the others, and all shimmering gold instead of the eerie blue. Hermione noticed they didn't rest on the shelf, but hung just a little way above it, hovering in the air. "That's mine." She indicated to the one on the very left.


	16. Undenyable

**Author's Note: **_Sorry it's been so long!! I've been to cadet camp and then on holiday, but now I'm back. ____**please review! **__I really hope you like it, next chapter will be soon, and sorry for so many cliffys, I know you love them really :p and I like suspense building._

"It's locked." Padma whispered. Hermione reached her hand out uncertainly, but as she'd hoped, the cabinet sprung open without any assistance. She didn't know whether she could touch the prophecy, a strong feeling told her she could, but again, she reached out anyway, her hand hesitant. Before she could get close her prophecy floated out, as if suspended from a cord and came to rest before their eyes, hanging eerily.

"Mine didn't do that." Harry whispered, right next to her. Hermione didn't care,

"It didn't?" She asked, only mildly interested. She counted to ten, silently, waiting for something to happen. When it didn't Mione frowned. "What now?"

"Well that's a very good-" Ron began. But he never finished. The prophecy suddenly illuminated the entire hall with blinding light, it expanded, exploded almost, but silently and when the rush of light had died down, there was a scene playing before them, as if cast by a projector.

"Dumbledore?" Harry noticed before anyone and took a step towards his 2D professor. Dumbledore listened to a hooded figure, crouched before him. The voice speaking was frail and crackly.

"It is Seen Dumbledore. Nothing can change that. The powerful one, the one born to help the leader, to make him the man he needs to be to defeat the evil that exists- she cannot be allowed to live."

"_I will not kill a human, you know this."_

"_Again I repeat the prophecy Dumbledore. She will rise, she will be more powerful than any we have known, but she will fall- she will succumb to the dark lord, she has no choice, she is born to serve him. Her powers will be his, if she is allowed to live."_

"_And you're sure this is Miss Granger?"_

"_The Muggle Born with the untold power. She will destroy everything we know, and she will do so at the Dark Lord's side- but she will be great. Greater than any, more powerful, stronger than any before her. She will rule this world." _

The scene changed. Dumbledore stood in his office, in front of Snape. The younger professor was speaking,

"_You're certain this is the right course?"_

"_I know what I heard, but I will not kill her, an innocent child, it isn't right. You are my most trusted Severus, and now I entrust you with this."_

"_Consider it done. She shall have no Hogwarts letter, no knowledge of what was to be, and no trace of her powers shall be left."_

Hermione was frozen. Cold tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Why didn't he tell us? Tell you?" Harry whispered. Hermione shook her head,

"Harry I- I'm so sorry." There was a silence so heavy it could have crushed Hermione.

It was pierced by a chilling voice.

"Boo." It slithered through the air, born to their ears on the wings of terror. They backed into a tighter huddle, against the cabinet, but even as they did so all around them, wands were lighting up, illuminating the faces of His followers, and their imminent death.

"This isn't about them." Hermione's voice trembled, "Take me, if that's what is meant to happen, but don't hurt them."

"Ah my sweet, so much to learn. I wont take you. You will come to me, it's been foretold, and then we will kill them together." The group twitched nervously, trying to move away from Hermione and still stay safe. All except Harry; he was right by her side. Hermione swallowed hard but she could feel a tingling spreading through her body, things around her felt further away, dream-like. And there was an unerring tug on her heart. She turned to face Harry and held out her wand,

"Harry, take it."

"Mione?" He shook his head,

"Harry!" She said more urgently, "I can feel it, I'm going to go to Him and I can't stop it. You need to take my wand, or I'll do terrible things with it, I could kill all of you. Please, don't let me!" Harry understood her terror. Gently, he prised her wand from her grip, sensing already that it wasn't enough.

Hermione walked, or drifted, in the direction of the Other Side. Wands lowered, allowed her through, till she stood at the Dark Lord's side, already feeling the surge of power, just standing near to him. The group she had lead here- lead to their deaths- looked horrified, shocked, angry.

"Sorry." She forced out of her constricted throat, but it was all she could do, her will wasn't strong enough to beat this.

"Bring them with us," Voldemort hissed to her, "We go to a more fitting space." With a loud 'Crack' all the Death Eaters vanished. Hermione took a deep breath, closed her eyes, honed her sense, and instantly knew where they had gone. A smile crept in place,

"Very fitting My Lord." She whispered. She raised her right hand and drew a circle in the air. Out of her finger tips came a golden wave of some substance, thicker than the air around it, it made a lasso-shape and sunk a little in the air. Almost carelessly she flung it out towards her friends, it settled around them effortlessly, not even noticing the counter charms that Ginny and Cho were desperately trying to work.

"Can you apparate them all and still hold them?" Voldemort queried, his voice off hand. Hermione reached down and her fingers closed around his grey skeletal ones,

"Silly Tom, I can do anything!" With a crack they disappeared. When she felt her feet on the ground again Hermione glanced around, satisfied; they were in the Atrium.


	17. You Can't Take Me

**Author's Note: **_LOVE YOU ALL...cause this is the second to last chapter...**please review! **I hope you like this ch. i went kinda insane writing it :p sorta. I was enjoying being bad-hermione so much that i got carried away. still...you should all enjoy that :) xox_

Harry cursed himself, he should have known that taking the wand wouldn't be enough. The Death Eaters were at a safe distance now, but they were certainly surrounded, he had no plan, even if they could shake Hermione's binding spell.

"Who shall we start with My Lord?" It broke Harry's heart to hear Hermione's voice now, it sounded lower, harsher, like it was possessed. "Potter." He looked up, body braced, wand at the ready- he could put up a fight.

"Not yet pet, be clever, there's someone who should go first. His _love._" Harry felt a thrill of horror. Ginny was going to die, and it was going to be his fault. Hermione stretched a single finger and made a slow beckoning motion to Ginny. She was drawn to her. Ginny struggled against it, both Harry and Ron grabbed her, but stopped when they saw they were hurting her. Ginny was dragged as if attached to a rope, from the binding spell to stand defiantly in front of Hermione and Voldemort.

"No!" Harry yelled, "No! I'll do anything, don't hurt her, please!" His scream scratched his throat, his words irritated him, their weakness was unbelievable; but he couldn't see them harm Ginny and know it was his fault. Ginny didn't say a word- Harry knew she'd rather die than beg. Hermione looked at Ginny and then whispered,

"I don't know the spells, and I don't have a wand- this is such a good game. Let's see how much I can make you scream." She cocked her head to one side, watching for Ginny's reaction.

"You don't have to do this Mione." Ginny whispered, "It's not who you are." Hermione clicked her tongue,

"Your 'Mione' isn't around anymore, so I'd save your breath." She hissed. She clicked her fingers and a loud crack resounded through the hall, making all the students wince or yelp. Ginny clutched at her broken wrist and Hermione looked satisfied. "Whoops, I lost concentration there, didn't mean to do that- oh wait- yeah I did." She waved her fingers again and Ginny's legs were scooped from beneath her and she landed with a heavy thud. "Get up. I beat you at a duel once before, when I was an ignorant amateur, now I want the chance to beat you for real. Get up! You're nothing, get up." Hermione's voice rose manically. And Ginny struggled to her feet, drawing her wand and beginning an incantation all in one go. Hermione effortlessly, flicked away the spell, spun Ginny's wand high in the air, out of the way. Seeing the others in her binding spell start to struggle harder, threaten to overwhelm it, she pushed a shield spell at them, throwing the all to the opposite wall in a writhing, crumpled heap. She knocked Ginny down again, this time she stayed down, whimpering. "Is that it?" Hermione yelled, feeling Voldemort's hungry gaze fixed on her. She removed the binding spell, needing them to give her something to fight. "Come on, come to me, come on!"

Harry was first to break towards her, but she threw him back against the wall again, just for fun. Focusing on Ron. She let him get very close to Ginny, then idly flicked a finger in a diagonal line down his body. Even from the distance she was it caused a deep wound. Ron buckled over, screaming in pain as blood splattered everywhere around, making an eerie pattern on the tiled floor.

"Careful you don't slip there," She laughed, "Think Ron spilt something." She ran her tongue over her lips, enjoying the cries of outrage. Next she took on Padma, reeling her in the same way as she had to Ginny, very close, so they were eye to eye. Then she glanced around the room, casually, she found a suitable looking masked figure and called over, her voice light and airy, "Want a plaything?" She threw Padma across the floor, her body folding in a heap at the Death Eater's feet. The power surge she could feel was unreal now, it was vibrating through her. "Oh god. This is amazing." She whispered, then louder, "Who's next? Come on, bring it." She looked left, saw Luna bent by Ron, and clenched her fist in mid air. An invisible fist mimicked her movement, around Luna's neck. She lifted Luna easily into the air and let her hang, wriggling, choking,

"Per-ah-lease." Luna spluttered hoarsely. Suddenly a weight crashed into her, no spell, just a body, one she hadn't seen coming. She fell under Dean's rather tall bulk, but managed to wiggle herself out from his body quick enough to watch with relish as Luna's neck was released and she fell from her incredible height with a terrified scream. She hit the floor and was still. She stared hard at Dean and as thoughts came to her they happened. She got up, watching him writhe, twist and squirm under her spell,

"Argh!" He cried out, but nothing would stop her.

-*-

A white flash expanded across the atrium. Yells of surprise echoed around, the most strangled being from Voldemort himself. A series of cracks resided, and the powerful silhouette of Albus Dumbledore was backed up by a series of strong looking witches and wizards behind him, wands at the ready. Each of them whizzed across the room to a different Death Eater, Hermione could only stare, utterly shocked, so shocked she ceased her torture. Dumbledore was gliding across the floor, Hermione turned her gaze in slow motion to see a show-down about to happen, between Dumbledore and Voldemort. She couldn't let it happen, something in her gut knew it wouldn't end well, for either side. She began to sprint, heading for the spot directly between the two great wizards. But Dumbledore was too fast, saw her coming and almost as an after thought threw at her the most powerful spell she'd ever encountered. Hermione was encompassed in a bubble of magic. A very solid, very powerful enchantment. She cursed Dumbledore from her golden, glowing, orb-like prison, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. She watched, horror struck, as the wizard's began to fight, spells flashing faster than was conceivable, all kinds of spells, she could practically smell the power- stuff she could only dream of. She fought against her barrier like a rabid animal to get at it, to get near the power, taste it, every counter-spell-idea that came to her head she tried to form, but it wasn't enough.

The duel ahead of her was too pressing to miss, she wanted to be in it. Dumbledore looked to be winning, but she couldn't be a hundred percent sure, for all she knew he was playing down to lull Voldemort into a false sense of security. Then it clicked. She knew how to get into people's heads. She could use her uncanny insight to her advantage; she had no idea whether it would work, whether by the laws of magic it was even feasible, but magic seemed to break all the laws anyway. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, honing in on Dumbledore's brain. He'd locked her in this prison with powerful magic, but right now his mind was busy, he could just accidentally drop the key as he duelled, dodging this spell and that, and she could pick it up and unlock herself- with a 'woosh' sound the prison evaporated and Hermione was free. Finally. She broke into an excited run.

"NO!" Harry cut across her path and she skidded to a ragged halt, the tiles causing her to loose her footing a little. Hermione flicked her hair from her eyes in an annoyed, bored manner.

"What now? Come to duel. I wanna fight, let's do it." She was revved up and ready.

"I'm not going to fight you Mione-"

"Raargh!" She threw all her rage at him, no spell coming to mind, she knew very few anyway, just a ball of burning rage, racing across the atrium towards Harry. He worked counter curses quickly, but not quickly enough; the ball took him down. No sooner had he hit the floor than he was up, although more burnt than before.

"Expelliamus!" His spell had little effect, wobbling her slightly. "Protego!" The shield barely knocked her before Hermione had spun it the other way, right into Cho and Seamus.

"Come on Harry! You wanna fight you've gotta raise the bar. You can't keep using these wimpy defensive spells, feel the pain you're about to cause."

"I couldn't Hermione. Can you?"

"What?" She stopped in her tracks,

"Can you feel what you're about to do and still cause it? Can you bear it?" He attempted a step or two closer.

"Shut up!" She yelled, "You're wasting yourself Potter." She slashed him to the floor, a large gash appearing up his left arm, bleeding profusely.

"Hermione, you're my friend. Come back, Mione, you're my best friend."

"It's an excuse." She made a punching motion in the air. It crashed towards Harry making him shoot backwards, a satisfying crunch as virtual-fist broke a rib or two. "An excuse 'cause guess what? You can't take me!" She looked around wildly, begging another flailing body to come running at her, "None of you can take me!" Her voice broke with every other syllable from over use, she felt her first genuine pain for a while coming from her throat.

"No," Harry croaked, pulling himself up with his good arm. He threw down his wand at his feet, "I don't want to attack you. Take you. You're right, I can't, because I _choose _not to. You have a choice Mione."

"Shut up! I hate you- I'm His, I belong to Him, it's who I am."

"You weren't listening, when Dumbledore didn't kill you, that prophecy- it's all because he believes in humans. You're a person, you're Hermione, and I love you- that's why you have a choice. None of that is foretold."

"No!" She yelled, unable to think of any pain to cause, she was so confused.

"I love you!" He stumbled forward,

"No you don't. We're enemies, I'm meant to kill you, you're meant to hate me."

"I love you."

"No!" Her voice echoed three or four times, sounding strange even to her. "Hate me! You're meant to hate me, Harry, hate me."

"I-Love-You." Every time he repeated it he came closer, "I love you. I love you. Hermione-" Despite her struggling her took her arm and closed a firm grip around it.

"Harry?" Her voice finally got a desperately needed break from shouting. "Harry what's happening? Why are we all-?" She looked around in shock, absolute horror that all this could be her fault. There was so much pain everywhere she looked. Harry looked confused, above all relieved, he gripped her arm tighter. "Oh god. Oh god. Oh god." She whispered hating the pain she cause as tears fell freely down her cheeks like rivers. "Harry I-I- help me."

"Shh." He whispered, pulling her tight into a hug. Ignoring the screaming, the yelling, the pain and anger all around them, the spells that flew inches from them, and just holding her. "I'm glad you're back Hermione."


	18. When i was

**Author's Note: **_Last chapter!!!! Just to clarify for everyone who got confused about the harry/mione love part....he does love her, as a friend, its that kind of love!! Hope you like, i can't believe it's over...keep an eye out for the sequel!! LOVE you all. **please review, its the last ch. would make my day! :) xxx**_

"You should have told me."

"I know." The old man sat before her didn't try to deny it, "I thought that by taking the magic away I could evade your destiny, I of all people shouldn't have been fool enough to underestimate magic. I thought you might have been tempted, had I let you in on how powerful you might become." Hermione shook her head in exasperation,

"But the very reason you didn't kill me, the reason for all of this, is because you believe in one thing; human choice. You should have trusted your belief enough to let me chose, especially when I found my way to Hogwarts anyway, albeit with a little help from Lord Voldemort."

"I was wrong."

"You betrayed me." She looked her headmaster right in the eye and was satisfied with the guilt she found there, "And you betrayed Harry by not telling him." She added for good measure.

"Hermione, for the pain I have caused, the betrayal, the danger- I am eternally sorry. But I think you knew that, and I believe you came here to see if there is another way. But your instincts are right; I think you also know what has to happen." Hermione nodded, a huge lump in her throat so she knew she couldn't speak. "It is what must be, Miss Granger, I wish I could make it easier for you."

-*-

Hermione hadn't expected this many people. She stood in the entrance hall looking at the small crowd; everyone who'd been there at the original meeting when they'd decided who would go with her and a few more she knew from classes. She couldn't say what it meant to her, all she could do was feel the emptiness that had begun to eat her alive. Luna came up and handed her a small cloth bag, wrapping her in a sudden hug. Hermione winced as she saw the bruises on Luna's neck.

"What's in the bag?" Hermione asked,

"It's from all of us, it's-" Luna began,

"Something to remember us by." Cho finished, her voice emotional as she stepped for her turn at a hug. Hermione held Cho's arm a moment longer,

"Thanks for all your help, with everything." Cho nodded, tears in her eyes. Hermione looked now from Fred to George, or possibly George to Fred, and didn't know what to say, or who to hug first. They both hugged her at once,

"Ok guys! Oxygen supply, becoming a problem." She laughed and they grinned identical grins,

"Promise us you wont open it, until you're back in Muggle world." They said in unison. She nodded, feeling herself choking on tears, trying not to let them spill.

"Ginny." She placed a hand on each shoulder and looked at the younger girl, "They need you, stay strong, look after them. Especially these two," She nodded at Harry and Ron, noticing briefly that the tears had begun and she couldn't fight them. Then she hugged Ginny fiercely.

"Always." Ginny whispered in her ear.

Hermione turned and walked the short distance to the door, with the two boys either side of her. The crowd began to slowly drift away and Hermione turned to give them one last wave. There, right at the back, skulking in darkened doorway, was Draco Malfoy, she spared a glance for him; wishing things could have turned out another way. But before she could think of running to him and thanking him, he had slipped away, gone again.

"I suppose it's useless asking if there's any other way." Hermione just looked at Harry and he knew there wasn't, "I just wish- I – I wish that…"

"I know." She finished for him. "God knows I love you Harry, you're the best friend I've ever had, but this is something we just have to do, it's just-"

"One of those things, I know." He sighed. Ron just stood quietly, close by, three friends all sharing their pain. Hermione looked at the stone wall and drew her wand, though it wasn't required, she flicked it up and down and as she moved so her name was carved. Harry and Ron mimicked, either side of hers and a little messier.

"Something to remember me by." She whispered.

"As if we'd need it." Harry replied earnestly, pulling her into the longest and most painful embrace of her life. They held each other for as long as they could bear and then pulled away, "My Mione," He smiled, looking deep into her eyes.

"Take this." She held out her wand,

"Oh I've heard that before," He joked, "You know it wont help."

"Oh I know," She gulped through her tears, a light smile appearing, "But still, it'll take away temptation, I have to forget all about magic. And I thought- well it's a long shot- but when all this is over and Voldemort is defeated, maybe you could find me, and give it back." Harry nodded, understanding exactly. Hermione turned, Ron spoke before she could,

"Hermione-" He stopped, hunching his shoulders a little, "I'm not one for long good byes really…" He trailed off,

"Me either." Hermione nodded firmly, "Ron I-" A long moment floated between there eyes and she knew she couldn't do it- in another time, another place- but not here. "I'd better go." She held his gaze a moment longer and then bent to pick up her suitcase.

How she walked away without looking back, Hermione would never know.

"Time to be a Muggle again Hermione, you think you can cope?" She asked herself. And after a moment, herself replied, "Yeah I guess I can, but I'll never forget when I was a Witch."


	19. To those who complained

**Author's Note: **_To all those who complained about ships…_

_Firstly, you don't know how this ends, this isn't the end, so I like to keep my ships a surprise and changing always, which hello, that's how it is in real life. I am not going to spoil the ending just to keep you guys happy when i know a load of my lovely readers are excited to see how it finally ends. Also if you guys are so good at suggesting what I do with the characters in the story next, and so unhappy with my own choices then please right your own fanfics! I'll be happy to read, just stop bothering me with mine. I have changed this story because readers have asked me to, but seriously it's the last time I do it. For people who keep saying the read this __**only **__because it was labelled 'harry/hermione' fic, well please read more carefully as that two character bit only says who the two __**main characters **__are, it doesn't say they're going to be in love from the beginning to the end._

_Now I feel pretty bad, I've ranted at my readers, most of whom are lovely, really enjoyed this and have given me nothing but praise and __**useful **__criticism! I do love you all, but to those few who made me angry enough to write this short complaint, please just read someone else's work if that's what you're about. Most of you are amazing, and I'm sorry to those who read this who know it's not them that's been mean!! I can take constructive criticism, don't think I can't, and feel free to give me any at any time, it's just plain nastiness I don't like. _

_Thanks to all my lovely reviewers and readers who took the time to read this even though they didn't have to!! xxx_


	20. SEQUEL IS HERE!

When I Was A Witch…the sequel to When I Was A Muggle, is finally here I really hope you like it, it will be on my profile at some point on 21st June 2010!

.net/~mantymouse

If you'd like to watch the trailer: .com/watch?v=SroVh6bUkok


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